Paopu Academy
by PaopuAcademy
Summary: REWRITE. Ten years after the defeat of Xehanort, the Keyblade Masters begin training their own apprentices. But when more and more wielders appear, it becomes too much for each Master to train one on one. Thus Paopu Academy is born, where Keyblade Wielders become Masters. But is the rising number of Wielders a sign that danger is just on the horizon? SYOC. SUBMISSIONS CLOSED!
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Okay, here we go! This is the reboot I promised! Not a whole lot will change in these chapters, but there are a few things that are different or added on.

As before, this chapter takes place two years before the main story, eight years after the defeat of Xehanort. Sora is 25. Alright, here we go!

…

Prologue

Sora ran through the streets of Radiant Garden as fast as his legs would carry him, his spikes bouncing with each step. Shadow Heartless surged towards him, beaten back only by his Keyblade. Riku and Kairi were right on his heels, and all three were panting from the speed Sora was setting, but none dared to slow down.

Leon's SOS had been serious. That was evident from the sheer number of Heartless in town itself.

The trio quickly left town, entering the path that lead to the Great Maw. The Heartless here were larger and wilder, forcing the three to slow down.

"Get out of my way!" Sora yelled, lunging forward, swinging Kingdom Key through angrily. The Heartless fell before it, and they were finally able to reach the Great Maw.

"Oh god…" Riku gasped as the three skidded to a halt, their eyes wide. Swarming before them were hundreds… no. _Thousands_ of Heartless. They were huge, much bigger than the trio had faced in any kind of group.

"Sora…?" Kairi asked weakly, fear in her voice. Sora took a deep breath, before his face became determined.

"Come on. We have to stop them before they cause too much damage!" he said, diving forward. Riku and Kairi glanced at each other, before following him.

Riku and Sora fought in perfect harmony, their Keyblades rising and falling in unison, their backs pressed together, covering each other from all angles. It was like they were reading each other's minds as they fought, instincts honed over the many years of fighting side by side.

Meanwhile, Kairi supported them, casting healing and protection spells on the men, making sure they stayed healthy enough to keep moving. The Heartless targeted her a few times, only to get hit by a few well times spells from Kairi herself.

…

Aqua, Ventus, and Terra rushed through the streets of Radiant Garden, heading towards the Great Maw. Each were thinking about the SOS they had received.

"We should have bought them. The message said _all_ available Keyblade wielders," Ven panted. "Besides, it would have been great experience for them."

Aqua pursed her lips, shaking her head. "No. They're not ready. Not for something like this," she said.

Ven glanced over his shoulder and grinned at the woman. "Didn't you think the same about me?"

"That was different! You're—" Aqua began hotly, only for the two of them to run into Terra, who had frozen just inside the entrance to the Great Maw.

"Guys…" he muttered, sounding horrified. Aqua and Ven looked around him, and their hearts crawled into their throats.

"Maybe you were right…" Aqua muttered in a halting voice.

Ven summoned his Keyblade, gripping it tight. "No time for that now," he said, diving into the surging mass of Heartless. Aqua and Terra glanced at each other, before summoning their own Keyblades and diving after him.

Ven darted through the Heartless, his Keyblade flashing as he struck quickly at each one. Meanwhile, Terra's long, sweeping blows took out waves at a time, and Aqua's magic infused attacks danced around the two, taking out the ones their Keyblades missed.

…

Roxas, Xion, and Lea rushed towards the growing Heartless battle, bickering with each other.

"I'm just saying, I don't think it was smart to leave them there," Lea said.

"It's not like they're going to blow up the town," Roxas countered. Lea snorted.

"You so sure about that?" he teased. Roxas rolled his eyes, despite the flash of horror that shot across his face. "No, what I'm saying is that they're going to _follow us._ You know they will," Lea said. "It's what we would have done, at any rate."

"I don't know. We haven't taught them how to use their gliders yet," Xion said.

"Seriously, have you two _met_ them? They'll hijack the spare Gummi Ship," Lea said, looking at the black haired girl.

"But I have the keys," Roxas countered.

"Common, guys, this is them we're talking about. I wouldn't put it past them to hot-wire the damn—whoa…" Lea cut off as the three of them slowed, seeing the surging mass of Heartless before them. He glanced at Roxas, meeting his eye.

"We should have bought them," they said in unison, before diving in.

"I'm kinda glad we didn't," Xion muttered, following after them.

Using both Oblivion and Oathkeeper, Roxas surged forward, clearing a path through the dark beings. Xion stayed at his back, covering him, while Lea darted out in random directions, using a combination of his own Keyblade and fire magic to obliterate the Heartless.

At one point, a group of flying Heartless surged towards them, forcing Lea to launch himself in the air to take them out. As he flipped backwards to land on his feet, he spotted the two other groups.

"Sora's here," he panted, throwing his Keyblade much like he used to with his Chakarams.

"Good," Roxas grunted, blocking an attack with Oblivion. He skidded back a few inches.

"So is Ven's group."

"Great. We need all the help we can—ARGH!" Roxas dropped back a few steps as one of the Heartless managed to get under his guard, clawing his stomach and shredding his shirt to ribbons. Lea quickly destroyed it, while Xion rose her Keyblade, her version of Kingdom Key, into the air.

"CURA!" she cried, and green light flowed over the blond. He sighed in relief.

"Thanks," he said, before diving forward once more.

…

The most unlikely trio ran through the now deserted streets of Radiant Garden. The one in front was a young woman of about eighteen, dressed in black. Lines of blue light glowed throughout the clothes, and her short black hair bounced with each hurried step.

Just behind her was a boy, about thirteen, dressed in black and green, his hood up. Attached to the hood was a pair of black cat ears, and a fake tail swung from his pants. A messy tuft of pale blond hair stuck out from under his hood, falling into his eyes.

Bringing up the rear was another young woman, the same age as the first. She was dressed in a long red and gold Chinese silk robe, which she held up a few inches to keep from tripping on it. A red sash trailed behind her, and her long black hair was tied up into a loose bun, pinned back with a red and white lily flower hair comb. She looked between her two teammates and bit her lip.

"Um… I think this, uh, might be a bad idea," she said, her soft voice almost unheard by her two companions. However, they both knew her well enough to interpret her hesitant expression.

"I know they said to stay home, and that this might be dangerous, but I don't care. It's going to be AWESOME!" the boy cried, jumping into the air excitedly.

"It was illogical. The SOS said for every available Keyblade Wielder. We were available," the woman in black said reasonably, almost in a monotonus voice.

"Yes, but—" the woman began, only to be cut off.

"Don't worry, Mei! We can make it into a game! Who can beat more!" the boy said, slowing slightly to run alongside her.

"This is not a game, Chuck," the woman in black scolded.

"Oh, c'mon, Mora. You're just a big, stupid fun-burglar," Chuck whined, pouting at her. The woman in black, Mora, rolled her eyes, before turning to the entrance of the Great Maw, which they had just reached. She stopped, letting the other two catch up.

"Oh my…" Mei whimpered.

"I told you this WILL BE AWESOME!" Chuck yelled, his voice rising with each word until he was yelling. With a flourish, he summoned his Keyblade. It had a brown pentagon shaped handguard and a blade made of silver wire in the shape of a wooden toy sword. The teeth of the key was made up of five gold doubloons of varying sizes, and at the end of the chain was a small doubloon. Twirling the blade, Hidden Treasure, he dove forward.

Mei watched after the boy, fear and worry fighting for dominance on her face. She winced slightly as a set of claws just narrowly avoided him.

Mora, on the other hand, watched the battle through narrowed, calculating eyes. Finally, she reached back with her left hand, pulling a black disk with blue light free from where it was docked on her back. Her Identity Disk in one hand, she summoned her Keyblade in her right hand.

Mora's Keyblade, like her outfit, was completely black with light blue lines etched into it. The handguard and teeth of the key were identical to her Identity Disk, with blue rectangles of light arching off the teeth, and a rod connecting the two disks. At the end of a glowing blue chain was the ISO symbol, a circle next to a sideways 'T.'

"Mei," Mora said, readying her weapons, Identity Disk in her left hand, Keyblade, Dual Identity, in her right. The other woman turned to her, her eyes still wide.

"Yes?" she asked softly.

"Start summoning." Mora threw her Disk forward and dove after it, into the fray.

Mei took a deep breath, calling her own Keyblade to hand. The handguard was a delicate red petal shape, and the blade was a thin green rod. The teeth of the key was formed by a white and red lily, much like the one in her hair. A long, thin silver chain swung gracefully from the guard, ending in the same lily as the teeth and Mei's hair.

Gripping her Keyblade, Honorable Bloom, tightly in one hand, she reached into her robe and pulled out a charm. It was pink, with paler pink bubbles through. Taking yet another deep breath, she held the charm up.

"Morph!" she cried, forcing her voice a little louder. The charm flashed, and a small creature made of pink good and two large eyeballs flew from it with an excited trill. Mei held a hand out for it, and the anamorphous goo landed in her palm. With a smile, she nuzzled him against her cheek, before letting the goo fly forward.

Morph turned into a small sword and began slicing through the Heartless, joining Chuck, who was darting around and striking the creatures from behind, and Mora, who was flipping through them, her Keyblade and Disk spinning. Whenever one of her friends would take a hit, Mei would cast Cure. Finally reaching the summon time limit, Morph darted back to Mei, whipped around her excitedly, and vanished.

"Thank you," she said softly, before preparing to summon once again.

…

"Now that is a battle." Standing on top of one of the cliff walls hemming in the Great Maw was another trio. The man who spoke, a seventeen-year-old with the figure of a body builder, was crouched at the edge of the cliff, a fierce smile on his face. Just behind him stood another man who had the body of a lithe dancer. The second man ran his longer fingers through the first man's golden locks.

"You and your battles," he said with a warm smile, shaking his head, his light purple ponytail following the movement. The first man stood, glancing back at the second.

The last member of the trio, a young woman of nineteen, rolled her eyes at the two, adjusting her red fedora over her white and purple-tipped hair. She then eyed the Heartless below them.

"Are we sure we're ready for this?" she asked.

"I was born ready, Kaya," the first man said, his fierce grin still in place. He shrugged a large, bronze shield off of his back as easily as if it were a toy, and summoned his Keyblade.

The handguard was triangle in shape, with the blade of a gladiator's sword. A curved boar's tusk made up the teeth of the key, and a thick chain swung from the guard, ending in the constellation symbol of the Greek God of War, Ares. His hand clenched excitedly around the leather grip of his blade, called Boar's Tusk.

"Don't forget about us, Bion," the other mand said, summoning his own Keyblade.

This one had a round handguard with a microphone at the bottom, perfectly opposite of the slim blade comprised of a silver rod. Twined around the rod, starting at the handguard, were two black wires that formed a music note at the point, making up the teeth of the key. Next to the microphone, off-set in a unique way for Keyblades, was a silver string that ended in a single black music note. The man twiled the Keyblade, Silver Crescendo, in his hand so that he held it in a reverse grip.

"Never, Jasper," Bion said, before looking over at Kaya. The woman sighed at their obvious flirting, but summoned her own Keyblade as well.

The handguard of this one resembled the crest of ocean waves. The blade also resembled a wave, blue and spotted with small fish and starfish. The teeth was made of a closed, brown and gold treasure chest, and the chain ended in a tiny model of a three-mast galleon ship. She smiled slightly at the blade, called Mysteries of the Sea.

With Bion in the lead, his shield poised in front of him, the three slid down the cliff. He easily rammed the grounded Heartless that were on the slope, while Kaya took out the flying ones with basic fire and blizzard spells.

As they slid, Jasper took a deep breath, bought the microphone part of his blade to up his mouth, and sang, his deep voice resonating through the trio. His wordless song was fast, designed to get the blood rolling: It was his Battle Cry. All three members of the group glowed with a soft red light, and each felt their strength growing.

"It won't last long. Make it count," he told the other two as they reached flat ground.

"Right," they said. Kaya then turned and dove into the fray. Jasper smiled, they turned to Bion.

"Cover me?" he asked.

"For you? Always," Bion answered with a smirk, before turning his back on the man and raising his shield in a protective stance in front of the male Singer. Jasper smiled, a small blush racing across his pale cheeks.

"So not the time, guys!" Kaya yelled, having heard the exchange. Jasper blushed more, but cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"All eyes on me!" he yelled, before beginning to dance. He twirled his Keyblade and spun, his hair and sash flowing with each fast movement of his Fast Dance. Power filled his two team mates, and suddenly, Kaya was moving a lot faster as she dodged and struck at the Heartless, using a combination of melee and basic spells.

Between her magically enhanced speed and her magically enhanced strength, the Heartless fell quickly before her. Meanwhile, Bion stayed firmly in front of the dancing Jasper, protecting him from any Heartless that came near.

…

Yet another trio reached the Great Maw from the path leading from town, the tallest member, a young man of sixteen with light brown hair, stumbling to a halt.

"Oh god," he gasped, his electric blue eyes huge. The shorter guy of the group, also sixteen, stepped forward with a grin, dropping his hand onto the taller one's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Collen. We can take them!" he said brightly, his purple eyes glowing with optimism. The taller one, Collen, turned and looked at him for a moment, before smirking and ruffling the boy's blue-black spiky hair.

"I know, Kai. It was just shock," he said.

"Well then, we better hurry," the last member, a short, curvy sixteen-year-old girl said, stepping forward, her long black hair swirling around her. She turned and smirked at the other two, her teal eyes narrowing slightly in challenge. "I mean, we didn't disobey our masters just to come watch, right?"

"Of course not, Gina!" Kai exclaimed, before summoning his Keyblade. The handguard, much like Kaya's Mysteries of the Sea, was in the shape of a wave crest. The blade, however, was round and brown, resembling the trunk of a palm tree, and the tip and teeth were formed by four palm-tree leaves arching off. Hanging from a piece of ship twine was a starfish. He twirled his blade, Tropical Breeze, and looked at the others.

Collen summoned his Keyblade. The grip was much longer than a standard Keyblade's, made to be a two-handed grip, with a thin, black hexagon shaped handguard. The silver-blue blade was also longer than a standard Keyblade's, curved like a Katana, and three crystals of various shades of pale blue and purple made up the teeth of the key. A silver chain swung from the handguard, ending in a small crystal. Collen flipped his blade, Crystal Breaker, over his shoulder with a smirk. "I'm ready," he said.

Finally, Gina summoned hers. It had a round light blue handguard with a yellow and pink seashell placed at the cross piece. The blade was much shorter than even Kai's, with the base a dark blue. The color faded to light blue, then to white at the point. The end of the blade curved into a half-fish shape that almost looked like half a heart, creating the teeth of the blade, and the colors faded from white, to light pink, to yellow. A small, yellow fish made up the keychain.

"Let's go," she said, gripping her blade, Healing Waters.

Collen dove forward first, sweeping his Keyblade from side to side with both hands, clearing a path. Kai ran forward, jumping over Collen and doing a front flip in the air, bringing his Keyblade down on the Heartless as he dropped onto them. Collen and Kai fought well together. Kai was constantly moving, ducking under the long horizontal reach of Collen's blade on instinct, while the taller bow continued to swing his blade at the Heartless around them.

Meanwhile, Gina clasped her Keyblade in front of her chest with both hands, took a deep breath, and started using one of her healing abilities: Pray.

As the group moved forward, they found themselves close to another trio: Mora, Chuck, and Mei. Despite the danger surging around them, Kai slowly found his focus drifting from the Heartless to Mora as she fough, her graceful body moving from strike, to block, to dodge and throw in fluid movements.

" _Kingdom Hearts, grant us light to heal the battle borne wounds of darkness. Kingdom Hearts, grant us—Kai, stop getting distracted!—light to heal the battle borne wounds of darkness,"_ Gine, who was right near the boy, chanted, not missing a beat as she reprimanded her team mate mid-pray. Kai jumped, not expecting that, and chuckled sheepishly.

"Heh, sorry," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head, before returning to battle. Collen, who had felt the pause in the steady stream of weak healing magic when Gina halted her chant, glanced over at the boy with a soft chuckle before returned to the fight, Gina's steady chanting keeping them strong.

…

By the time the Heartless were finally defeated, all of the warriors were exhausted. Most of them collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily or letting the healers of their team take care of any missed injury.

Collen, however, was not one of them. He stabbed the point of Crystal Breaker into the ground, using it to keep himself from collapsing, and limped forward, his eyes glued on the Dark Castle that stood stark against the sky in the distance.

"Collen?" a surprised voice called as he made it halfway across the Great Maw. He turned to see Riku sitting on the ground. Sora and Kairi, who were next to him, looked over as well.

"Master," Collen said, bowing his head in respect to his Master. "Sorry I disobeyed, but this is my home. I couldn't not come help to defend it," he explained. Riku glanced at the others with a sigh, before pushing himself up with a soft, tired groan. He walked over to the boy and crossed his arms.

"Kai and Gina came too, didn't they?" he asked. Collen smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes."

"Called it," Sora said, putting his arms behind his head and laying back. Another soft sigh escaped Riku, and he shook his head, looking back at his apprentice.

"Where are you going now?" he asked.

"The Dark Castle. We need to see why the Heartless came, and why they converged on this spot. Right, Master?" he asked. Riku looked thoughtful, before nodding.

"Yes. Sharp instincts, Collen," he said, causing his apprentice to grin. "But I'm coming with you." A frown crossed the boy's face.

"With all due respect, Master, you're exhausted," he said.

"So are you," Riku noted, looking pointedly at how Collen was supporting himself with Crystal Breaker. The apprentice looked down, then chuckled at himself.

"Right. Touché," he said. Riku chuckled at him as well, and the two moved through the now empty Great Maw and onto the thin, winding path leading to the Dark Castle in silence.

It wasn't until they were deep in the shadows of the cliff walls on either side of the path that Riku broke the silence.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"Since you've been here. Seen your home world," Riku clarified.

"Oh. Two years, since you started training me, Master. I mean, I love the Islands, but…"

"There's no place like home?"

"Yes."

There was silence for a few more minutes.

"I wish I could have seen you fighting today. It would have given me a good chance to assess your skills," Riku suddenly said wistfully.

"Well, Master, perhaps next time you could bring us with you," Collen suggested with a grin, not looking up at the man.

Riku laughed at that. "Fair enough."

…

"You should have seen us, Master!" Somehow, Kai had managed to retain his boundless energy, despite the battle. He now bounced over to his Master, Sora, where the brunette still laid on the ground. Kai threw himself down to sit next to him, while Gina, who had followed Kai, grinned, crossing her arms and looking at Kairi.

"Oh yes, Master. You should have. Collen was busy fighting while I kept their butts alive, and what is this bone head doing? Gawking at Mora," she said teasingly.

"Hey!"

Sora, who had opened his eyes and was listening, snorted, sitting up and putting a hand on Kai's head, ruffling his already messy blue-black spikes.

"We _really_ gotta work on your getting distracted thing, Kai," he said. Kai pouted.

"Yes, Master."

"So what happened to you three staying home?" Kairi asked.

"Sorry, Master, but Collen was going to come either way, and we couldn't let him come alone," Gina explained. Kairi's stern face softened.

"Makes sense," Sora said, dropping his hand from Kai's spikes.

…

"We told you to stay home," Roxas said sternly as he, Lea, and Xion stood in front of their own apprentices, having found them almost immediately after the battle. Mora stepped forward, bowing her head slightly.

"I apologize, Master. I had read the letter you received and found it illogical for us to not come and help, when it asked for all available wielders."

Roxas sighed at his apprentice. "Mora, us telling you to stay put automatically made you three unavailable," he said. Mora frowned slightly, not seeing the logic in that statement.

"Oh come on! We helped, didn't we?" Chuck asked, his green eyes widening slightly. "You needed all the help you could get."

"He has a point," Lea, who had been listening with his arms crossed, said, glancing over at Roxas, who sighed. He then looked back at his apprentice. "So how'd you get here?"

"Oh! That's easy! I pick-pocketed Master Roxas as you guys were leaving!" Chuck said brightly, holding up the keys for the Gummi Ship that Roxas had been sure was in his pocket. The blond quickly checked his pockets while Xion's giggles grew into full blown laughter.

"Chuck!" Roxas gasped, before scowling at Lea, who was also laughing "Control your Apprentice!" Lea continued to laugh.

"Either way, they did a good job," Xion said, stepping forward and putting a proud hand on the shoulder of her own apprentice, Mei. "I thought I saw someone summon Bambi. Good job, Mei, she said.

Mei blushed brightly, but smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Master."

…

"I told you they were ready," Ven said with a grin at Aqua as those two and Terra walked over to their own apprentices. Jasper's deep voice, singing his Soothing Melody to heal their teammates, had alerted them to the apprentice's presence. Aqua watches as her apprentice finished his song, and the green light around those three faded.

"Yes… I guess you're right," she sighed, before frowning slightly. "But they still disobeyed us."

"Jasper looked up upon hearing those three, and bit his lip.

"Uh, guys," he muttered to his teammates. Bion and Kaya looked over, before quickly lining up, clearly more disciplined then the rest of the apprentices.

"True," Terra said to Aqua, "but every great story begins with a small act of disobedience. Right, Ven?" he said.

"Right," Ven said with a laugh as they stopped in front of their apprentices. Aqua shook her head the two two, before instantly going into mother hen mode.

"Are you three alright? No injuries?" she asked, studying the three of them.

"None I couldn't heal, Master," Jasper said. Bion and Kaya both nodded in agreement.

"You three just couldn't stay away, could you?" Terra asked, looking specifically at his apprentice. Bion grinned back.

"The letter said _all_ available Keyblade Wielders, Master," the gladiator reminded him.

"And if these two were coming, someone had to come to make sure they didn't get themselves killed," Kaya said. Ven grinned at that.

"Wait, I thought that was my job as support," Jasper muttered, causing Bion to chuckle.

"You know, Kaya, sometimes I think you sound more like Aqua's apprentice then mine," Ven joked. And like that, the tension over the group was broken, and all six of them laughed. Finally, Jasped looked back at his Master.

"Master Aqua? We're not going to be punished for disobeying, will we?" he asked. The woman sighed.

"No, I guess not. But don't take this to mean it can happen again," she said sternly.

"Yes, Master," the three apprentices chorused gratefully.

…

"Oh, no…" Collen gasped. He and Riku had made their way through the castle to the Grand Hall, home of the Keyhole.

Neither expected to find the Keyhole open, with darkness pouring out of it. Collen looked up at Riku, his blue eyes swimming with worry.

"Master? What do we do?" he asked.

"Re-lock it," Riku replied, stepping forward and pointing his Keyblade, Way to Dawn, at the source of darkness. After a moment, the tip of his blade flashed, glowing brightly, before shooting out a beam of light. It sliced right through the darkness and vanished into the Keyhole. There was a loud click, and the darkness slowly faded.

"That should calm the Heartless down," he said. Collen nodded, and the two made their way back to the others.

"Master?" Collen asked, looking up at the man.

"Hm?"

"What could have unlocked that Keyhole?"

"Honestly, Collen? I don't know."

…

Master Yen Sid awaited in his Tower, King Mickey standing beside him. The nine Keyblade Masters, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Lea, Xion, Aqua, Ventus, and Terra were downstairs, on their way up. Yen Sid had called them here, straight from Radiant Garden.

"Gee, I wonder what's taking them?" Mickey muttered. Yen Sid smiled slightly.

"Their apprentices are with them," Yen Sid said. "I imagine they're telling them to stay downstairs while they come up here."

"Oh…" Mickey sighed. "I can't believe every single one of them has an Apprentice. It's been so long since there were so many active Keyblade wielders, huh Master?" he asked. Yen Sid glanced at his former apprentice and nodded.

"It has, though I fear this is a sign of things to come," the sorcerer admitted.

Before Mickey could answer, the door opened, and all nine masters entered, lining up in front of the desk.

"Well?" Master Yen Sid asked. It was Riku who stepped forward.

"With the help of our apprentices, we managed to defeat the threat to Radiant Garden. But… me and my apprentice entered the Dark Castle, to see what had attracted them there in the first place. It was the Keyhole. It had been unlocked," he explained.

"What!?" Mickey gasped.

"And we know the Princesses of Heart hadn't been used," Sora added, looking at Kairi.

"No, they weren't. All are safe in their individual worlds," Yen Sid agreed. "Which means, a new power must have been used. Are you sure it was the Keyhole?" he asked.

"Yes, Master. I… I'll never forget where Radiant Garden's Keyhole is." Riku glanced away slightly. Sora and Kairi looked at their friend in worry, while the other Masters looked away politely. Riku took a deep breath and looked back at Yen Sid. "Besides, I relocked it myself."

"Then it is as I feared," Yen Sid sighed.

"Master?" Mickey asked.

"As I was just telling Mickey, I fear the rise in Keyblade Wielders is a sign that something is coming."

"Something?" Terra asked. "Surely not something worse than Xehanort?" A collective shudder ran through the group at the mention of the man they had defeated eight years ago.

"No way! Nothing can be worse than Xehanort," Sora replied with a grin. "Right?"

"I don't know," Yen Sid admitted, standing and walking over to the moon shaped window, looking out at the star studded sky. "But more Keyblade wielders are appearing all over the worlds. Too many to train one on one."

"No problem!" Sora said with a grin, putting his hands behind his head. "We can each train more than one. Like…" He hesitated for a moment, thinking. "Like factions of some kind."

"No," Ven suddenly said, stepping forward. "I refuse to do that. Wielders should work together. Splitting them into factions, into _Unions_ , feeds natural competition, which leads to disaster."

A heavy silence fell over the room at his words. Lea was the one to break it.

"So what's your, Roxas's and Sora's excuse?" he asked teasingly. The corners of Ven's mouth twitched, breaking him out of his serious mood.

"That's friendly competition and completely different than what Sora was suggesting," he said, trying to stay serious.

"Doesn't seem friendly all the time," Lea countered. Sora grinned.

"He has a point," he said, motioning to Lea. He then grew serious. "But you're right. I didn't think."

"You never think," Roxas muttered.

"Hey!" Sora gasped indignantly, turning to face the other blond.

"Hmm… how about a school type of set up?" Mickey suddenly suggested.

"A school?" Aqua asked.

"Yeah. Each of you can teach a different class, and _share_ apprentices!" Mickey explained. Xion nodded.

"That would make them more well-rounded. After all, each of us have something different we can teach," she said.

"And teaching these things like a class would let us teach a larger amount of people at one time!" Kairi added.

"So, what do we call it?" Terra asked. Kairi stepped forward, pulling her star shaped charm from her pocket. Seeing this, Aqua stepped forward, pulling out her Wayfinder.

"You based that off of the fruit from our island, right? Off of these charms?" Kairi asked.

"Mhm. Because that fruit ties together destinies," Aqua admitted. Kairi grinned at her, and understanding dawned on Aqua's face.

"Paopu. Paopu Academy," she said.

…

 **A/N:** Okay. Here we go. The end of the reworked version of this chapter. Hope you like the changes!

Kaya belongs to Wolfiered23

All other OCs belong to me


	2. Ep 1–The Beginning of a Semester

**A/N:** Here's the next updated chapter. I really don't think much will change in this chapter, but I'm still combing through it.

This happens two years after the prologue and ten years after the defeat of Xehanort. Like before, each student is placed into a trio. The original apprentices are already split into teams, an later chapters explains the teams more.

There are a few established relationships. SoraxKairi are the only ones out of the canon characters. I'll let you discover which out of the apprentices (if your character is involved, you already know).

I don't think there's anything else to say, so enjoy!

…

Ep 1 – The Beginning of a Semester

Paopu Academy, where Keyblade Wielders became Masters. Run by the Nine Masters, it was set up in Radiant Garden, in the castle that had once belonged to the great Ansem the Wise. The first year or two was rocky as the Masters got used to teaching in this way, and classes were still being developed, but as it entered its third year, the Masters were confident that they knew what they were doing.

Over the two month break, some of the students had stayed in Radiant Garden, while others had returned to their home world to visit friends and family.

Sora was currently standing on the roof of one of the towers, watching as Highwind, the orange and yellow Gummi Ship, came into view, carrying students who didn't know how to pilot their own ship or use their Keyblade Gliders yet. A trio of students followed right after it on their Gliders, clad in their Armor.

Sora grinned, recognizing them as Team Twilight, the original three apprentices of Roxas, Lea, and Xion.

The one in front was a young boy, clad in black and gold armor. He was riding a silver and gold hover board-like glider, and kept darting forward and doubling back to circle the other two.

As he almost ran into one of them, the second rider, a young woman in black and glowing blue armor much like the outfits worn by himself and Riku on the Grid, suddenly spun her Light Cycle-like glider around and shot in front of the boy, forcing him to pull up short.

The one he almost ran into, the third member of their group, brought her red and white scooter-like glider to a halt, her red and gold Chinese armor flashing in the sun, to avoid hitting either of her teammates. Sora grinned: he could tell the boy was arguing with the girl in black and blue.

"Hey, guys!" he called, waving them down. The three apprentices turned to look at him, before the boy sipped around the women and shot over to Sora. A few feet from the tower, he jumped off the board, and in a flash of light, both that and his armor where gone.

Standing in front of him was Chuck, now fifteen. He had shot up a few inches in these past two years, but still wore the black hoody with the cat ears. He now wore it unzipped, revealing a green shirt underneath. His legs were clad in black cargo pants: the left leg long, while the right leg stopped just below his knee. Completing the look was the fake cat tail that swung with each of his hyper movements.

"Hi Master Sora!" he said brightly. The two girls landed behind him, and in two more flashes of light, Mora and Mei were revealed as their armor disappeared.

Mora, now eighteen, looked no different from two years ago. Her crystal blue eyes still peered out from a curtain of black, choppy hair that fell in her face, observing everything, and she still carried herself with intelligence and confidence. Sora noticed the lines on her clothes were glowing just a little brighter today, as was the ISO symbol on her left arm. A sure sign of her excitement, despite the emotion absent from her face.

Mei, also eighteen, had only grown a few inches so now she reached Mora's height. She still wore her red and gold robe that reached the floor, made of silk, and the sleeves were about two feet longer then her arms, hiding her hands. The ends of the red sash tied around her waist swirled around her with each movement as she bowed to Sora.

"Master Sora. It's great to see you again," she said in such a soft voice, Sora was forced to lean forward to hear her. He grinned.

"You too, guys. Excited for another semester?" he asked.

"Yes," Mora said with a nod. "We are finally taking our Marks of Mastery this year."

"Hm…" Sora put a finger to his chin and peered at them thoughtfully. "Is that this year? I don't know, I don't think you three are ready," he teased. Mora's lips twitched slightly, recognizing the joke. Mei did also, her hands jumping up to cover her mouth as a soft, surprised giggle escaped her.

Chuck, on the other hand…

"Hey! We are totally ready!" he huffed, crossing his arms and drawing himself up to full height, which was still shorter than the girls. Sora laughed, patting him on the head.

"Not with that attitude, kiddo," he said, before motioning to the door that lead down into the tower. "Go get settled in your room."

"Yes, Master," all three said, before slipping through the door. Sora turned, glancing down in the courtyard where Cid was unloading luggage from the Gummi Ship. Kids, ranging from the ages of thirteen to twenty, milled around him, taking their luggage. The older ones headed right into the castle, while some of the younger ones waited around Cid, unsure of what to do next. Sora couldn't help but grin as he recognized a few, recruited by himself.

Movement from the sky caught his attention once again. Looking up, he spotted another familiar trio.

The one in front wore red and gold Spartan armor, riding a bronze and red bike like glider.

Just behind him, wearing very flexible silver and purple armor, was another young man, riding a silver bike like glider with two black ribbons trailing behind it.

Next to him was the third member of the group, a young woman wearing dark purple and white armor that looked similar to Aqua's armor. She rode a glider that resembled a dark blue and black ship, her left hand keeping her red fedora planted firmly on her head.

Sora waved them down, and the three landed in front of him. Three flashes of light later, Team Departure, comprised of the original apprentices of Terra, Aqua, and Ven, stood in front of him.

"Hello, Master Sora," Bion, now nineteen, said, nodding his head. Bion had only grown more muscles in these past two years, and even a few new battle scars on his already marred arms since Sora saw him at the end of last semester, two months ago. He was taller than Sora himself by only an inch or two, wearing a brown Hercules-like tunic with a blood red cape, black pants, and knee high-lace up combat boots.

"Bion. Enter the Games again?" Sora asked, looking at one of the young man's fresher looking scars. The young warrior grinned, flexing the bicep where the scar was.

"Yep! Hercules Cup. Nearly won this time, too." A small frown crossed his face. "Hercules cheats though," he grumbled, before eyeing Sora. "Did he go invincible when you fought him, Master?" he asked. Sora laughed.

"Yep. There's a trick to defeating him though," he said with a wink, before looking at the other two. "How were your breaks?" he asked, just as Bion opened his mouth, no doubt to ask about that trick.

"Good. It was nice to hear the music of home again," Jasper said with a smile.

Jasper, also nineteen at this point, stood just as tall as Bion, but with a slim, lithe figure of a danger. His long, light purple hair had grown a little longer in these past two years, but was still tied back in a low ponytail. He wore a sleeveless, silver turtle neck top that had three amethysts set in it, across his collar bone. The short stopped just below his pecks, showing off a six pack, and a long purple sash was tied around his waist, sitting low on his hips, with the ends long and free flowing. Baggy pants that tightened at the ankles covered his legs, and a purple silk wrap covered the top of his legs, short on the right, knee length on the left, with a silver diamond pattern along the hem. Over the wrap was a silver linked belt, and on his hands were silver dancer gloves with little silver discs attached. Every time he moved, his gloves and belt would jingle softly, giving the illusion that music followed him everywhere.

Sora smiled at his answer before turning to look at the final member of the group, Kaya.

The oldest of the three at age twenty-one, Kaya's red fedora was pulled low over her eyes, the silver starfish pin attached to it flashing. She had also grown an inch or two, and was wearing a light purple blouse with bell sleeves that moved with her, black jeans, and black boots.

"It was nice to see the Land of Departure again," Kaya said, keeping her eyes hidden. Sora nodded in understanding, not pushing her.

"I'm sure. Go get settled. I'll see you at the assembly," he told them. The three nodded, heading inside. Sora watched as Bion put a comforting arm around Kaya, while Jasper hummed some bouncy little tune.

"That was stupid of me," Sora muttered, looking back down. By this point, Cid had gathered the younger students and were leading them inside. As Sora watched, Team Destiny, comprised of his, Riku's, and Kairi's original apprentices, entered through the courtyard, having been staying in town with Collen's parents for the past week.

Leading the way, now eighteen, was Sora's original apprentice, Kai. His black-blue spikes bounced with each enthusiastic step, having grown just a little longer in the last two years. He wore a sleeveless black undershirt with a light blue short sleeved jacket over it. The jacket had a black hood, and he wore dark blue cargo pants with a yellow belt. Two black straps were attached at the boys hips, crossing behind his legs, and attaching to the pants just above the knees. On his feet were large, dark blue shoes with silver soles, and black wristbands covered his wrists.

Just behind him, also eighteen, was Collen, his long, light brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. He wore a skin tight black shirt under a dark red, long sleeved jacket, open in the front, that dropped to mid-thigh. The sleeves were tucked into black, fingerless gloves, and his legs were clad in dark brown pants, with three belts stacked on top of each other around his waist. Completing the look were black sneakers and a black scarf.

Following those two, also eighteen, was Gina. Her long, thick black hair swayed with each step, contrasting the white top with red trimming she wore. The top had a shallow, wide hood with the same red trimming that was currently down, and long, flowing sleeves. The top was open and short, revealing the black bikini top she wore under it, as well as her stomach. Covering the black bikini bottom she wore was a purple wrap, a lot like Jaspers, but made from studier material. On her feet were purple flats, and around her neck was a light pink and yellow seashell, held in place by a piece of ship swine.

Sora watched as those three talked amongst themselves, laughing. Kai shoved Collen's shoulder, who suddenly caught the smaller boy in a headlock, while Gina watched, laughing. For a moment, Sora saw himself, Riku, and Kairi.

"How fitting," he said softly with a grin, watching as Kai struggled, until Collen suddenly let him go, causing Kai to hit the ground. The illusion of himself and his friends was shattered, though, as Gina walked forward and took Collen's hand, kissing him on the cheek.

"Except that," Sora muttered with a grin. Shaking the memories away, Sora turned and entered the castle. It had come a long way since the Restoration Committee had rediscovered it. All of the wires and pipes were now concealed, the rubble cleaned up, and sounds of life filled the halls.

"There you are!" Kairi said, coming out of a different hall and joining Sora as he walked towards the Audience Chamber. She slipped her hand into his, and he kissed her cheek. She giggled, before giving him a playfully stern look. "The assembly is about to start," she scolded.

"I know," Sora chuckled. "I was on the roof."

"Were you taking another nap?" the ginger accused.

"What? No! I was watching the students come in!" Sora said indignantly. Kairi giggled at him.

"Sure." She shook her head, resting against him. "Don't forget, you're giving the opening speech this year."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sora huffed, before grinning and letting go of her hand, opting to instead wrap and arm around her as those two made their way to the assembly hall.

…

Kai, Collen, and Gina finally entered the Audience Chamber, which was already milling with students.

"Do you see them?" Kai asked his taller friend.

"Guys! Kai, Collen, Gina! GUYS! Over here!" a voice suddenly yelled.

"Not yet, but I hear them," Collen said with a smirk, glancing around. Jumping up and down in his seat was Chuck. Collen led his team over, and couldn't help but smirk. From left to right was Jasper, Bion (who was holding Jasper's hand), Chuck, Mora, one empty seat, Mei, and Kaya. Gina, also noticing this, smirked and shoved Kai towards the empty seat in between Mora and Mei, before sat in the two empty seats next to Kaya.

Kai, his heart in his throat, sat down, before glancing over at Mora. She was holding her Identity Disk in her left hand. A holograph floated over it, depicting a puzzle game, which she manipulated with her right hand.

"H-hey, Mora. That looks fun…" he said, a blush racing across his cheeks.

"Hello, Kai," Mora said, her eyes flicking over to the boy before continuing with her game. "It is."

Kai watched for another moment, before feeling the lightest brush against his arm. Turning, he spotted Mei, who was also blushing.

"H-hello, Kai," she said, before voice incredibly soft. He smiled warmly at her, having always found her presence soothing.

"Hey Mei," he said. Mei's face turned red. "Have a good break?"

"Oh, uh, um… y-yes," the woman stuttered, covering her cheeks with her sleeve-clad hands. "It was nice to see Twilight Town again."

Kai was forced to lean forward to hear what she said, but smiled at her words all the same.

…

Thirteen-year-old first year, Hazel, quickly found a seat in the Audience Chamber, trying not to freak out at the large amount of people in the room. She hopped into a chair next to an older student with black, slicked back hair. Hazel tucked her feet under her, her hands gripping the edge of the seat between her feet. Mocha eyes flickered up from a book to study the odd girl next to him, taking in Hazel's dark brown hair, forest green eyes, white tank top, green knee-length skirt, and bare feet. The boy then returned his attention to his book, ignoring her. Hazel hesitated for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

"Hi. My name's Hazel. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said to the boy next to her as she offered her hand, remembering the etiquette lessons she had learned from her mother. The young man didn't glance up from his book.

"Miles," he said. Hazel hesitated for a moment, before letting her hand drop with a small pout.

"Guys! Kai, Collen, Gina! GUYS! Over here!"

Hazel jumped slightly and turned towards the sound of someone yelling, only to see a young boy dressed as a cat jumping up and down in his seat. The trio who had just walked in moved towards him, waving and talking not just to him, but to the five people he sat with. Hazel studied them, noticing that they were all older than most of the students in the room, with the exception of cat-boy.

She wasn't the only one whose attention was on the group of nine, however. Most of the people in the room seemed to throw quick glances back at the group, and her sharp ears picked up the muttering around her.

" _Look at them! They're the Legends!"_

" _Not talking to anyone again during the Opening Assembly. The Legends never seem to socialize with anyone except each other, huh?"_

" _That's not fair. The Legends have known each other much longer than anyone else here. Besides, it's not like anyone ever actually approaches them."_

"The Legends?" Hazel asked, turning back to Miles. He glanced over at the group of nine, before looking back at Hazel.

"They were the original apprentices of the Masters. Before the Academy opened," he explained. "Honestly, they're probably the most powerful students here."

"Oh…"

"I hear they're pretty nice though, if you actually talk to them," Miles added, before returning to his book. Before Hazel could say anything else, Master Sora stepped to the podium. A hush fell over the students. Sora looked out at them, before smiling.

"Welcome to Paopu Academy. Or, welcome back to the returning students," he said with that infectious grin of his. "Most of you know me, but for those who don't, I'm Sora." There were a few chuckles at him omitting the title of Master from his introduction. "Paopu Academy was founded to train new Keyblade Wielders to fight both Heartless and the forces of Darkness. The Keyblade Wielder's job is to maintain the balance of Light and Dark in the worlds," Sora began, growing serious. "But beyond that, we are what tie the Destiny of the worlds together. That's actually where the name of the school comes from.

"The Paopu fruit comes from Kairi, Riku, and my home world, Destiny Islands. It is said that when two people share a Paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined, forever. We are the Paopu fruits of the worlds: shared among them, and connecting their destinies. And it is those destinies that we must protect. Although we aren't currently facing a crisis, you all know how quickly the tide can change. And we'll make sure you all are prepared. So, again, welcome," Sora finished. The students clapped politely, and Sora couldn't help but smile. "Xion, Kairi, and Naminé will show the first years to their temporary rooms until they receive their team assignments," he said. The three women he named stood, heading towards the door. "And the older students are free to explore the castle and town for the rest of the night. Just remember that the Cavern of Remembrance is off limit-" he looked pointedly at the group of nine sitting in the back, "-as is the area beyond the town. Classes start Monday. Good luck!"

"The Cavern of Remembrance?" Hazel asked as the students around her began to rise from their seats, only to find her neighbor, Miles already gone.

"And extremely dangerous cavern, with the entrance just outside the castle," another voice answered. Hazel jumped slightly, turning towards the new voice, only to find Bion standing behind her. He smirked. "I overheard the Masters say that they're going to use it for the Mark of Mastery exam."

"Oh. Y-you're one of those Legends, right?" Hazel asked, surprised he was actually talking to her. Bion laughed.

"You can say that. You might want to hurry though. You're a first year, right?" he asked, motioning over his shoulder with his thumb. Hazel glanced around him, only to see the group of first years moving out of the Audience Chamber.

"Eep! Bye!" she called, darting after them. Bion chuckled at that before continuing towards the front, wanting to talk to his original Master, Terra.

…

 **A/N:** Alright, here you go! Another update. Like I said, not much was changed. I had to switch Aila out (I'm really sorry DeathTheManiac) for a different OC, and tweaked the descriptions, but I kept Hazel in all her glory, since she seemed REALLY popular with the readers.

Miles belongs to Watch Me Whipped Cream

Kaya belongs to Wolfiered23

All others belong to me


	3. Ep 2 – New Students (pt 1)

**A/N:** Now, this main story is split into "episodes," each with its own mini-story within this fic. And each episode will feature different characters as they deal with different situations. The next one or two Episodes will prominently feature this group of first years.

I don't think anything is really changed in these chapters, sooo…. You can skim to reorient yourself if you'd like.

Alright, not much more to say here! ONWARD!

…

Ep 2 – New Students

 _Pt 1 – Team Assignments_

Radiant Garden was bustling as groups of returning students ran from shop to shop, buying items to replace lost, broken, or forgotten ones. The cafés and restaurants were mobbed with groups reuniting after the two-month break, and business was just overall booming.

It was obvious the first day back for students was a favorite for the business owners, if their fat Munny Pouches at the end of the day were any indication.

For Hazel though, who had never seen this many people in one spot before (or ever, really), it was all very new. She slowly walked through town, turning this way and that, drinking in the sights and listening to the chatter. Even the _smells_ were new for her! As she entered another district, a concoction of sweet smells assaulted her nose. Sniffing the air, she dropped into a crouch, supporting her weight on her toes and knuckles, and moved forward, following the scent.

…

Ventus loved Radiant Garden's one and only Candy Shop. It held all kinds of sweets, from all different worlds, and the Moogle running it, Kupetta, was the sweetest Moogle Ven had ever met.

Once the Opening Assembly had finished, this was the first place he bought one of the first years he'd found, knowing of her love for sweets.

Kupetta floated over to the fourteen-year-old girl. The girl had shoulder-blade length curly white hair that was currently down, with side bangs that hung in her light blue eyes. She wore a black tank top under a white short jacket, a knee-length white skirt that had blue lining along the hem, dark blue leggings underneath that, and white boots that go up to just below her knees. Around her neck was a red scarf, and completing the outfit were white fingerless gloves and a white hip satchel.

"Hello, sweetie. Can I help you find anything, kupo?" Kupetta asked.

"Oh, uh, just browsing. Thank you," the girl asked with a small smile.

"Okay. Oh, Master Ventus. I've already bagged up your usual, kupo!" she said, turning to the Keyblade Master. He laughed at that, pulling his Munny out.

"Thanks, Kupetta," he said, handing it to her and receiving a hefty bag of candy in return. The girl turned and raised an eyebrow at the man.

"I take it you come here often," she teased. Ven laughed with a shrug.

"You're not the only one who likes sweets, Amber," he said. "Besides, with how 'boring' a topic I teach, candy is a good way to motivate students."

"So you bribe them."

"It is so not bribing!" Ven gasped, mock-offended.

Before Amber could answer, the chime of the door rang. Curious, both glanced over, only to see Hazel.

Hazel had followed her nose all the way to a cute little candy shop, surprisingly uncrowded except for the Moogle shop owner, the Master, and Amber. Hazel's attention, however, was on the scents assaulting her sensitive nose. She sniffed the air, trying to discern between separate scents.

Ven and Amber glanced at each other before going back to watching this girl, who was crouched on the ground, sniffing the air.

"No…" Hazel suddenly gasped in disbelief. "Honey?" She darted over to one of the displays, pulling herself to an upright standing position with the shelf. Kupetta rushed over, worried by the girl's wild movements.

Suddenly, Ven recognized her as another first year that Sora had recruited.

"You should go say hi," he said with a smile at Amber. "She's in your year."

"Er, I don't know…" Amber muttered.

Hazel sniffed the display excitedly, before noticing the numbers on each of the little baggies. Belatedly realizing what they meant, she pulled out her Munny.

The school gave each student 500 Munny at the beginning of each semester. Some students would add that to the amount they bought from home. For other students, that would be all the Munny they would have until they started fighting Heartless. Hazel, falling into the latter category, hesitated as she studied her Munny Pouch, before looking up at the candies, trying to decide if she really needed them.

Ven caught Amber's eye and motioned with his head towards the odd girl. Amber bit her lip, seeming unsure, but sighed and walked over.

"Um, hi," she said. Hazel jumped slightly, turning towards the girl. Once again remembering her mother's etiquette lessons, she stood up straight and held out her right hand towards the girl.

"Hi. My name's Hazel. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a smile.

"Amber. It's nice to meet you too," the white-haired girl said. She turned to look at the display Hazel had been looking at. "Honey Drops?" she asked.

"Yeah. I love Honey. But it's so hard to get back home," she explained. She then shrugged. "Oh what the heck," she said, picking up a bag and counting out the Munny. Kupetta, who had been hovering nearby, darted forward and took the Munny, before whisking away to the register. Hazel then turned to Amber, who was shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"So… are you a first year, too?" she asked.

"Er, yeah," Amber said.

"Master Sora's the one who bought me here. What about you?" Hazel asked curiously.

"Master Ve—" Amber cut off as she went to motion towards Ven, only to find that he wasn't in the store anymore. "Big Brother?" she asked in surprise, looking around.

"Master Ventus?" Hazel asked. Amber nodded, still looking around. "I just saw him slip out."

A small scowl crossed the girl's face. "Now why did he do something like that?"

…

Ventus watched the two girls as they exited the shop. The brunette, Hazel, offered Amber a Honey Drop, which Amber took with a small smile, even if she kept glancing around.

"Probably looking for me," Ven said with a smile, before shaking his head with a small puff of laughter. "I'm probably worried for no reason…"

…

Sixteen-year old Chronos weaved his way through the crowded town, sidestepping the people crowding the districts, his nose in a book. The other students didn't notice the short, small boy weaving among them, his chin length blond hair shining in the sun. He wore a pair of blue sweats with a hoodie of the same color. The hoodie was a size or two too large for his tiny structure, looking more like a cloak then a hoodie. Along both the pants and hoodie were silver roman numerals ranging from I (1) to XII (12).

Just as Chronos rounded a corner, someone a bit shorter, but much more solid, ran into him, making him fall back with an _oof_!

Hazel stumbled back slightly as the guy she ran into fell.

"I'm sorry," she said, leaning forward to help Chronos up. Amber smiled at that.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," Chronos said, picking his book up and brushing it off. Hazel smiled weakly at him.

"Hi, my name's Hazel. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, shaking the boy's hand, which she still held.

"Er, likewise. I'm Chronos," he muttered, flexing his hand once the stronger girl let it go, his slender, long fingers nearly crushed in her abnormally strong grip.

"And I'm Amber," the other girl said, before looking over at Hazel. "You know there are more ways to introduce yourself, right?"

"Oh… um…" Hazel blushed, lowering her head slightly to hide behind her hair. Chronos, not understanding, just smiled weakly at them. The brunette shook her head and looked up again. "So, do you attend Paopu Academy, too?" she asked. Chronos simply nodded to her question. Hazel, not seeming to know what else to say, shifted her weight. Thankfully, Amber stepped in then.

"Well, we'll let you get back to your book. It was nice to meet you, Chronos," she said, grabbing Hazel's arm and pulling her away. Chronos watched after the two girls, before letting out a soft breath and opening his book once more, making his way to the Outer Gardens and hopefully some peace and quiet.

…

The next morning found the assorted first years milling around in the Bailey. A few of them were looking out the windows, talking about the Dark Castle which sat in the distance, while some of them talked nervously about the Team Assignment Exam they would face today. Hazel was standing on the sill of one of the windows, studying the world from this vantage point, while Amber fidgeted nervously with her scarf, pulling it up and over her mouth and nose. Meanwhile, Chronos sat in a quiet corner, his nose buried in a book.

Just then, Masters Sora, Riku, and Kairi entered. Almost instantly, the students stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to them.

"Well, it looks like everyone's already here," Sora said with a grin. "I guess that means we can get started right away."

"Excuse me, but what will we be doing?" one of the students asked, raising their hand.

"We will be assessing each of your fighting styles so that we can build the teams in the most balanced way possible. Usually, we have a strength, a speed, and a magic user for each trio, but that doesn't always happen," Riku explained. "I'll be here to assess each of you, and Kairi will be here to heal any injuries. Basic spells and abilities are, of course, allowed, so that we can see what you can do."

"And what will we be fighting?" Hazel asked.

"Me," Sora said with a grin, stepping forward and summoning Kingdom Key. The students were silent for a second, before the muttering started. Riku shook his head with a chuckle.

"It's the same every year," he muttered to Kairi, who nodded, stepping forward.

"You'll be fighting Sora one on one. He's the most balanced fighter between the Nine Masters, so he can take most of what you can throw at him," she explained. Sora quirked an eyebrow at her, a small pout crossing his face.

"'Most'?" he asked, causing the first years to chuckle, most of their nervousness melting away. Kairi just smiled sweetly at him, before stepping back and nodding to Riku. Riku had the first years step back, clearing the middle of the Bailey, before calling the first student forward.

"Amber. You're up," he said, looking up from his clipboard with a smile at the white-haired girl. Amber straightened up slightly, before gulping softly and stepping forward. She brought her scarf up to her face, taking a deep breath of its scent, before tucking it back around her neck.

With her left hand, she unsheathed the sword that hung at her hip. The Holy Sword was just a few inches shorter than her leg. The grip was made of brown leather. A handguard, shaped as one angel wing, arched from the cross-piece, protecting only one side of her hand. The blade itself was a silver blue, with a line of pure light blue running down the middle.

In her right hand, she summoned her Keyblade, The Sleeping Lion. It looked a lot like the holy sword, but with a solid piece of metal acting as the other side of the handguard, opposite the wing. The point of the blade was a lion's head, while the teeth of the key was made of an arrow with wing like appendages. A silver-blue chain hung from the end, with another lion's head, the mane, forming the shape of a wing.

Taking another deep breath, Amber entered her fighting stance, the Ballet first position with her left arm towards her side at a diagonal, and her right arm in the same position on her other side.

Sora grinned, getting into his iconic fighting stance. The two studied each other for a few tense seconds.

"Begin!" Riku called.

The two circled each other for a few moments, before Sora suddenly dove forward, swiping at the girl with his Keyblade. She blocked it with her Holy Sword, before countering with Sleeping Lion. Sora let Kingdom Key bounce off of the sword rather than locking their blades together, and caught Sleeping Lion mid swing. Amber jumped back, disengaging from the first exchange of blows. Riku nodded, taking notes.

This time, it was Amber who initiated the attack, rushing forward and swinging both blades at Sora. It was clear she was new to dual wielding, as her left arm didn't have as much strength or dexterity as her right, but she was managing to hold her own against the Master. Sora fell back from her onslaught, blocking each strike. Finally, he parried a strike from the Holy Sword, creating an opening and striking her in the arm.

With a gasp of pain, Amber dropped her Holy Sword and jumped back. She frowned at the growing bruise, before looking up at Sora.

" _Cure!"_ she cried, glowing a light green. The bruise faded, as did some of the pain. Forgoing the sword, Amber dove forward again, using just Sleeping Lion. Amber and Sora traded blow for blow, until finally, Amber ducked under one of Sora's strikes and into his guard. She surged upward, her shoulder slamming into his chest. Sora gasped as the air was pushed out of him and he fell back, having not expected her shoulder to be so… _solid._ For a moment, he thought he saw the light reflect off of her shoulder as she jumped back, but in the blink of an eye, the glare was gone.

Kairi and Riku glanced at each other as Sora caught his breath, rubbing his chest, before Riku nodded.

"Time. That was good, Amber," he said, glancing over his notes. Amber smiled shyly at the praise, de-summoning her Keyblade and picking up her sword, re-sheathing it.

"Thank you," she said, stepping back into line. Kairi cast a quick cure spell on Sora, who nodded with a smile to her, waiting for the next person.

…

Two students later, Chronos's name was called. He walked forward nervously, watching as Sora nodded encouragement to him. With a deep breath, he summoned his own Keyblade, Strikes Twelve.

The silver blade of Strikes Twelves was only about three feet long, with roman numerals etched in gold along the length of it. At the point, the blade curved around, forming a circle with a clock face in the center. A thin chain hung from the handguard, with a roman numeral twelve at the end.

Chronos held Strikes Twleve level in front of him, posed more to allow him to better parry attacks than to actually strike. Riku nodded at this, jotting down a few notes under Chronos's name.

It was clear Chronos was nervous, as his already too-pale face was even paler. However, he stood his ground as Riku called "Begin!"

After a few minutes of Sora and Chronos studying each other, the Master dove forward. Chronos ducked under his attacks, moving to the side and away from Sora, who kept coming. Finally finding his back against the wall, Chronos took a deep breath.

" _STOP!"_ he yelled. A clock face appeared in front of Sora, made out of purple light, and the Master froze mid-swing. Chronos moved closer, striking a few times at Sora, before quickly moving away, knowing Sora wouldn't stay frozen for long.

He was right. As soon as he was out of Sora's reach, the Kingdom Key Wielder began to move again.

Before Sora could pin Chronos again, the boy cast Slow, causing a green clock face to flash over Sora's head, slowing his movements down long enough for him to get a few good hits in, before darting out of his reach as the spell wore off.

The sparring match went on like this for a few more minutes, with Chronos alternating between Stop and Slow, until Riku called time, laughter clear in his voice. Sora pouted at him, knowing Riku was laughing at how ridiculous he had looked moving at a snail's pace.

"That was good, Chronos. It's clear to see you're more of a magic user, but that's very useful in battle," Kairi said, elbowing Riku in the ribs to get him to stop laughing, and kicking Sora in the shin as he opened his mouth to say something to the Way to Dawn Master. The first years laughed at the Masters antics, while Chronos smiled slightly at the woman's praise, stepping back into line.

…

"Hazel," Riku called after a few more matches. The girl stepped forward with a grin, completely at ease. She waited for Kairi to finish healing Sora, before summoning her own Keyblade, Jungle Fang.

The handguard was round, looking like jungle vines, while the brown, round blade of the Keyblade was taller than Hazel herself, the length of a short spear. A blade made from sharpened rock was tied to the point of the Keyblade, making up the key's teeth, and a small vine hung from the guard, with a leopard's fang attached to the end.

Hazel herself crouched forward, her feet spread wide apart, her center of gravity very close to the ground. Her left hand was held in front of her, gripping Jungle Fang, while her right hand was held up and behind her, palm facing the ground. Her bare toes spread wide apart, almost unnaturally, as she gripped at the ground with her feet. She bared her teeth in a playfully threatening way as Sora got into his own stance.

"Begin!" Riku yelled. Before the word even fully left his mouth, Hazel was on the move. She darted to the side, jumped up, and bounced off the wall, swinging her Keyblade wildly in long, sweeping attacks. Sora rolled backwards, out of her reach, and followed up with diving forward himself as soon as she landed. Hazel crouched low to the ground, watching him race towards her. She still held the grip of the blade in her left hand, but she was also holding the blade just a foot before the teeth of the key with her right hand, holding it just like a spear. She managed to block a few of Sora's strikes, before suddenly jumping straight up in the air.

Recognizing the attack, Sora rolled out of the way, just as Hazel slammed Keyblade first into the ground in a messy Jump attack. As she stood, Sora took a few quick swipes at her. Hazel jumped back, avoiding Kingdom Key, and bared her teeth at him again.

The two went back and forth like this for a few more minutes until Riku called time, jotting notes down. Hazel stood up straight, de-summoned her Keyblade, and stepped back, just as Sora turned to his next sparring partner.

…

After the last of the first years, the students were free to explore town while the Masters met. Riku spread the notes he took out on the table so that each Master could see them, and slowly, but surely, twelve first years became four teams.

…

"Amber, Chronos, and Hazel," Aqua called, standing in front of the first years. These three students stepped forward. "You are now Team Dragon Light. Look to your teammates in your darkest times, as they will act as a light of guidance and friendship."

"Yes, Master," those three said, bowing their heads to her, then stepping back into line. Amber glanced at Hazel with a smile, while Hazel grinned brightly at her. Meanwhile, Chronos looked between his two new teammates. Amber seemed okay enough to him, but he wasn't too sure about rooming and fighting alongside such a wild person as Hazel.

There was only one thing Amber was sure of when it came to her new team. Things were bound to be interesting.

…

 **A/N** : Alright! Yeah, I only changed tiny little things in this, mostly to fix mistakes I missed, and to better describe Chronos's Keyblade (which was confusing when I read over it again).

Amber belongs to Wolfiered23

Chronos belongs to Pureshadow013

Hazel belongs to me


	4. Ep 2 – New Students (pt 2)

**A/N:** Hey guys! Here's the next and last reworked chapter. The only difference is some corrections that I missed the first time around. After this, I will be uploading entirely new chapters. Enjoy!

…

Ep 2 – New Students

 _Pt 2 – First Day_

Hazel, Amber, and Chronos made their way through the castle, Amber in the lead. After Master Aqua had announced their teams, they were sent to look for their rooms.

"435, 435…" Amber muttered to herself, looking at each door's number. Hazel, meanwhile, was looking around, clearly uncomfortable in the confined space of the hall, while Chronos seemed deep in thought.

"Aha!" Amber suddenly announced, causing her teammates to look over. Amber walked over to a door with a brass number plate on it. On the plate was the number 435. "Here we are," she said, opening the door.

Inside was a moderately sized room. There were three beds, their headboards lined against the wall opposite the door, and a large window behind them, open to let in the pleasant breeze and air out the room. The floor was hardwood, matching the wood of the head and foot boards of the beds, the three desks that were placed along the same wall as the door, and the large bookshelf that stood in the corner next to the last desk.

On the right hand side of each bed was a night stand, and there were three small dressers, one at the foot of each bed. The ceiling was high and crisscrossed with rafters, giving the room a large, airy feeling. On the wall to the right was another door, opened slightly to show that it lead to the bathroom.

"This is nice," Amber said, walking further in. Chronos followed her in, immediately checking out the desks and bookshelf.

"Yeah. Lots of book space," he agreed, before those two claimed their beds. Chronos took the one almost directly across from the bookshelf, while Amber took the one in the middle. Hazel hesitantly sat down on her bed, and the three looked at each other, the room filling with an awkward silence. For the girls, it was one thing to walk around town and get to know each other. It was another to suddenly be thrown in a room together, along with a guy they only met in passing.

"I guess we should unpack, huh?" Amber finally said, standing. Chronos nodded, also standing and going over to his stuff.

From his bag, Chronos pulled a number of different books, ranging from fantasy, to sci-fi, to history. There were even a few magic and synthesis books, comics, and mangas mixed in. He froze as he put them on the bookshelf.

"Er, you two aren't gonna…" he trailed off as Amber pulled out a small stack of books, mainly fairytales.

"Can I have just a shelf?" she asked. Chronos nodded and looked over at Hazel, who smiled at him.

"Nope, I'm good," the wild girl said. Chronos smiled slightly at that, and filled the bottom two shelves with basic synthesis ingredients and equipment as well, leaving the one above that, but under his books, clear for Amber.

After placing her books there, Amber filled her small dresser with her clothes, leaving her bag of sweets and a journal in her nightstand drawer. She also placed a pink, star shaped earing, and a bluish-green diamond shaped gem on the nightstand. Finally, she put a stuffed animal on her bed – a grey tabby-cat with black stripes.

Hazel packed her few clothes into her dresser, and placed two black and white photos on her night stand. The first was of a man with a mustache in a suit, and woman in a dress, holding a baby. The second, a newer picture, showed an older, short, balding man, and a young woman, her hair tied up, wearing a high collared dress. Around the pictures, she placed different wild flowers, pressed and dried. They were pale compared to their living counterparts, but still beautiful.

"So… now what?" Amber asked as they finished.

"It's starting to get late," Chronos said, glancing at the time. "And we start classes tomorrow. Perhaps we should go to bed."

The girls agreed, and each took turns getting ready for bed.

…

Falling asleep for each member of Team Dragon Light was difficult, but soon, the room was filled with soft, sleepy breathing.

The only one left awake was Hazel, tossing and turning on the bed in an attempt to get comfortable. Finally, she sat up and looked up at the rafters, then down at her blankets and sheets, getting an idea.

She quickly stripped the bed and climbed into the rafters, building a hammock-like nest from the blankets and sheets, and settled into it, finally beginning to drift off.

That's when Amber cried out softly in her sleep. Chronos frowned slightly and rolled over, away from the girl, but Hazel's eyes had snapped open, staring through the darkness at her teammate.

Amber thrashed slightly in her bed, muttering incoherently, before letting out another soft cry.

Chronos woke up that time, only to hear movement coming from _above_ Hazel's bed. Looking over, he watched the wild-girl climb out of the hammock thing she had built, and move over to Amber's bed, crouching low to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Chronos asked quietly, rubbing his eye. Hazel glanced over at him.

"She's having a bad dream," Hazel whispered, before pulling herself into Amber's bed.

"I… er… see this. I meant… aren't you going to wake her up?" Chronos asked, propping himself up slightly on his elbow. Hazel shook her head and laid next to Amber, gently pulling her so that the other girl's head was on her chest. After a moment of listening to Hazel's heartbeat, Amber finally started calming down.

Chronos watched his two teammates for a moment as Hazel began to drift off, before laying down fully, trying to fall back asleep himself.

…

Ventus sat in the kitchen, a mug of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream in front of him. Next to the mug was an ancient book, full of writing and pictures. He studied the picture in the back of the book, depicting six people, before sighing and closing the book.

"What are you still doing awake?" a voice asked from behind. Ven nearly jumped out of his skin, before turning towards the door. Sora was standing there, looking at Ven in worry.

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same. First day jitters, you know," Sora said with a smile, walking over to the fridge and grabbing a soda before sitting across from Ven. He glanced down at the ancient book, closed and half-hidden under Ven's hand.

"Is that—" he began.

"Yes." Ven cut him off, before taking a sip of his cocoa.

"Oh." Sora sipped his drink too, deep in thought for a moment. "You're worried about her."

"Of course I'm worried about her," Ventus snapped, before his shoulders slumped with a deep sigh. "She's been through so much. And she keeps going through it. I just… don't know how to help her…"

"Ven, I'm worried about her, too. Heck, we all are. But… I'm also worried about you," Sora said.

"Me?" Ven asked, looking up at him. "Why?"

"You've been having nightmares, too, haven't you?" Sora asked. Ven didn't answer, preferring instead to look away. "I thought so. Have you… thought of talking to someone?"

"The only person who would understand is dealing with her own issues right now. You know if I burden her with this, it'll make things worse," Ven said.

"It doesn't have to be someone who understands everything completely. Just someone who's willing to listen. And you have no shortage of that," Sora reminded him. Ven looked up at him for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked. Sora grinned.

"Just a minute?"

"Well… maybe an hour or two," Ven said, looking down at the book. Sora smiled.

"Yes. What's on your mind?"

…

Amber felt more rested as she woke up this morning then she'd felt in a long time. She smiled slightly, refusing to open her eyes just yet, though from the red of her eyelids, she could tell it was light in the room.

Suddenly, she noticed something… odd with her pillow. Well, a few somethings. First of all, it was a bit firmer than the one she fell asleep on. Secondly, it rose and fell slightly.

Finally, it had a heartbeat.

Amber's eyes flew open as she sat straight up in bed, turning to look. Hazel was laying in her bed, and it had been her chest that Amber's head had been resting on. The young brunette groaned softly in her sleep, before blinking her eyes open.

"Um… what are you doing in my bed?" Amber asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

"You… you were having a nightmare. In my family, when one has a nightmare, someone else will sleep with them and let that person listen to their heartbeat," Hazel explained, sitting up and stretching.

"Your… family?" Chronos asked. He had been awake for an hour or two, lost in his History book. But now, he was focused on the conversation happening between the girls.

"Yes. Akut and I would comfort each other all the time in the same way. He's had lots of nightmares recently." A scowl crossed Hazel's face before she smiled up at the silver-haired girl. "You're a lot lighter than a gorilla though," she finished with a smile.

"A… gorilla…" Amber muttered.

"Mhm. I'm from Deep Jungle," Hazel said with a grin, jumping off the bed to stand and lifting her head proudly. "I am the daughter of Tarzan, King of the Jungle, and Jane."

"Well… as much as I appreciate you comforting me last night... perhaps next time you could just… I don't know, wake me up?" Amber asked.

"Oh…" Hazel looked down, before blushing. "Humans only do that kind of thing for a lover or family member. That's right. Mother taught me that," she said, talking more to herself then her teammate. Her cheeks grew even darker as she realized the extent of her mistake. Amber smiled, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"It's okay. I'm not mad," she said. Hazel looked up at her and smiled.

"Um, guys… maybe we should be getting ready for class?" Chronos suddenly suggested, glancing at the time. Amber quickly did the same.

"Oh, right!" she gasped, before grabbing her stuff and darting into the bathroom.

…

Once ready, Team Dragon Light left their room, headed for their first class. Hazel was telling the other two more about her world – Tree Surfing, vine swinging, swimming with the hippos and elephants. Amber was listening, while Chronos was deep in thought.

Since the Team Assignment Exam, when he faced Master Sora, something has been… bugging him.

"Master, are you okay? You look tired."

Chronos looked up at the sound of that voice, recognizing one of the fourth years, the one with bluish-black hair, talking to Master Sora. The Master smiled warmly at him, ruffling the boy's hair.

"I'm okay, Kai. I just didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night."

"Hey, guys. Um, I'll catch up, okay?" Chronos said. Amber and Hazel both turned to look at him.

"You sure?" Amber asked. Chronos nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, okay." The girls continued forward.

"I'll see you in class, Master Sora!" Kai called as he jogged off. He flashed a friendly grin at Chronos as he ran by, which Chronos returned shyly. The young time mage then turned his attention to the Kingdom Key Master. He could see what Kai was talking about; there were faint bags under Master Sora's bright blue eyes.

"Er, Master Sora?" he asked. Sora turned again at the sound of his name, spotted the frail blond, and smiled.

"Hello, Chronos. Can I help you?" he asked.

"Well… I… I wanted to talk to you about the exam yesterday…" he said. Sora looked thoughtful for a moment.

"What about it? I thought you did pretty well…" he said.

"That's just it. I feel like I did _too_ well. You… you're a Master, and I… I'm just…"

"Just starting out," the Master said in a warm tone, putting a hand on Chronos shoulder. "Which is why, to make it fair to you and your peers, I wear this during that exam." Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out an anklet. It was made of heavy black chain links. Each link was set with a different colored gem. "This lowers my resistance to most status effects and elements, like stop and slow," he explained. Chronos looked between that, and up at Sora.

"But… why?" he asked.

"Because we need a clear picture of every student's ability to place them in a team, and if I'm resisting their abilities, we won't get that," Sora said.

"Oh. That… makes sense," Chronos said with a smile. Sora grinned back at him, tucking the accessory back into his pocket.

"I thought it would. Now, get going. You don't want to be late for your first class, right?" he said. Chronos smiled a little wider.

"No. Thank you, Master," he said before rushing off. Sora smiled, watching after him, before yawning and heading to his own first class of the day.

…

Master Ventus stood at the front of the classroom as the first year students filed into the room. Chronos slipped in with the last of them and glanced around, only to find Amber and Hazel near the back. Mildly disappointed, as this was a class he wanted to be up front for, he walked over and joined them.

"Alright, guys, settle down," Ven said with a small smile. The class grew quiet, and looked at him expectantly. "Now, I know history isn't the most exciting, but it's important to learn, because it can, and almost has, repeat itself," Ven said. Hazel leaned over to Amber and Chronos.

"Is it just me, or does he look tired?" she muttered. Amber nodded.

"Master Sora had those same bags under his eyes," Chronos whispered back.

"Now, those of you who have spent time in Radiant Garden have no doubt heard this 'fairy tale,' but for those of you who haven't…" Ven trailed off like it should be obvious, before taking a deep breath.

"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts." Ven's voice was steady as he told the story. It was clear he had told it many times before and had it memorized. "The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared." His voice dropped, growing a little sadder as he said this. But then he took a deep breath. "But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the worlds we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So, even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your hearts will shine with its power and push the darkness away."

Silence followed his words for a moment. Most of the students were staring at Ven. In fact, the only one who wasn't was Amber, who was staring at the desk in front of her, her red scarf covering her mouth and nose. Ven took a deep breath.

"While that story is called a 'fairy tale,' it is actually the story of the Keyblade War. The light, Lux as it was called back then, was fought over by five different Unions. The unions fought over the Lux, darkness was born in their hearts, and it spread through their ranks like wild fire, until finally, the war broke out, and the world disappeared, swallowed by darkness." Ven moved over to the board and began to write on it. "The 'children' of the story, the ones who held those fragments of light, were called The Dandelions. And the true light, the door… is Kingdom Hearts."

By this point, Hazel had grown restless, her attention wondering to the window. Amber's face was completely buried in her scarf. The only one of Team Dragon Light who was completely interested was Chronos, who was already taking notes.

"This one, small story encompasses everything I will teach you in this class for the next four years. For this year, we will talk about the time before the war. The time of the first Five Unions." He motioned to the board where he had written the five Union names, with each Foreteller's name next to it.

"Each Union had an animal attached to it. The Unicorns had, obviously, a unicorn, lead by Master Ira.

"The Ursus Union was represented by the bear, lead by Master Aced.

"Anguis was represented by the snake, led by Master Invi.

"Leopardos was represented by the snow leopard, led by Master Gula.

"And finally, the Union of Vulpeus was represented by the fox and lead by Master Ava.

"Each of the Foretellers, along with a sixth man, were apprenticed to someone known only as the Master of Masters. It was because of him, and his Book of Prophecies, that everything began."

Master Ventus continued his lesson until it was almost time. By the end, Hazel was squirming in her seat, Amber was completely hidden in her scarf, and Chronos had taken about eight pages of notes.

"Alright, class, any questions?" Ven finally asked. Chronos's hand shot into the air, and he asked multiple questions (some that even Ven himself claimed not to know the answer to), before they ran out of time.

"Don't forget the reading!" Ven called after the class as they rushed out. Once the room was empty, he sighed, turning back to the board.

"It never gets any easier…" he whispered to himself as he erased the five Union names.

…

 **A/N:**

Hazel – mine

Amber – WolfieRed23

Chronos – pureshadow013


	5. Ep 3 - Classes (pt 1)

**A/N:** Hey guys! So, I really wanted to get this up Friday or Saturday, but right after I finished posting the last edited chapter, I had to deal with a family emergency, and was out of town/away from my computer all weekend. But, I'm back and ready to write! So, here we go!

…

Ep 3 – Classes

 _Pt 1 – Theory_

The first day of classes at Paopu Academy were always some of the more boring – Especially for the older kids.

That's why, on the first day of Enemy Lore, the three four year teams, Teams Destiny, Twilight, and Departure, were not looking forward to the start of class.

"Ugh… I hate this class," Chuck whined, leaning his chair back onto two legs. Mora glanced over at her younger teammate, unimpressed.

"You hate all theory based classes," she pointed out.

"So?" Chuck replied.

"I hate this class, too. Learning about all the different kinds of darkness is creepy," Gina said, giving a little shudder. Collen wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. Bion yawned, resting his head on his arms.

"I learn better in the field then in a classroom," he muttered.

"Well, we've all gone to our masters before, trying to get out of these class. It hasn't worked yet, but think about it guys! This is the last year we have to deal with this!" Kai said brightly, the voice of optimism.

"Not true," Riku said as he walked in, having heard the end of Kai's statement. "Passing the Mark of Mastery doesn't mean you no longer have to learn anything. A Master is always learning," the man said, setting a stack of papers down on the desk at the front of the room. He glanced around at the bored faces, and chuckled, guessing what their conversation had been about. "What, you think I enjoy standing at the front of a class teaching? Because really, I don't."

"Then, maybe we could—" Chuck began, his head perking up.

"No. What I'll be teaching you this year is too important to be left to finding out on your own. I _wish_ someone had taught me and Sora this stuff before we were just thrust into the field. It would have saved us a lot of trouble," Riku explained, organizing his pile on the desk. "Now, you've already learned about the Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, Dream Eaters, and Nightmares. That leaves one more thing: Other Beings of Darkness."

Kai's hand rose into the air.

"Yes, Kai?"

"What do you mean by 'other beings'? Are they monsters, like the rest that we've learned about?" he asked.

"Well, they are Monsters, but not in the way you're thinking about," Riku said, stepping around the desk and leaning back against it. "In my opinion, they're scarier than the Heartless, because these beings _appear human_."

That caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"Do you mean we'll finally be learning about Xehanort?" Bion asked.

"Yes. He's the biggest example. There's also Maleficent and her band of followers, and Vanitas and beings like him. Despite some of these people being gone, there is always the chance you'll run into someone like them. We'll also be discussing how being consumed or corrupted by darkness can leave one open to being controlled, or twisted and manipulated into doing something they'd rather not," Riku explained. Collen raised his hand.

"Yes, Col?" Riku asked.

"But can't darkness be used for good, too?" He asked, Riku glanced at his previous apprentice curiously, with a small, sad smile.

"Yes, it can," he agreed. "I'm walking proof of that. But… it's not always easy, and at first, I was easily manipulated by Maleficent into fighting my best friend, then fell under the control of Xehanort. The path of Twilight, and of Dawn, is hard. And one I would highly advise against." Riku picked up a piece of paper, glancing at it before nodding.

"But, for today, we will set those thoughts aside, and focus on reviewing what we've learned these past few years.

There was a loud groan from around the room.

…

Team Battle Magus, along with three other third year teams, found themselves in the classroom assigned to World Lore, waiting for Master Kairi. The third years were grouped in the center of the room, chatting to each other, except for Team Battle Magus, who sat in the far back corner.

The first member of Battle Magus was a young, Caucasian man of nineteen, with short, neat gold hair and narrow blue eyes. He was wearing a red, military-styled uniform with green military pants, black leather boots, and black fingerless gloves. Around his neck was a gold chain, ending in a silver locket that laid closed against his chest. In his hands was a pocket knife, which he used to carefully carve details into a small wooden bird.

Next to him sat an Arabian woman of fifteen. Her chin length black hair, mostly hidden under a grey beanie, was parted over her right eye, with two locks framing her face, and her bangs, swept to the left, falling into her green eyes. She wore a long-sleeved shirt with a black, short-sleeved zip-up hoodie over top, black jeans, and back boots. Written in white on the back of her hoodie was the word ' _Roma'._

The third member of their team was absent.

A few of the other third years glanced over at the two in pity, and the girl smiled at a few of them, but the man completely ignored them and her. It was clear to see there was tension between these two.

Just then, Master Kairi walked in, a stuffed folder under her arm. The chattering immediately faded as they watched the ginger Master put her stuff down.

"Alright, guys! Welcome to your third semester," she said with a bright smile at the group as she glanced over the students. Her smile fell, only slightly, as she spotted the duo in the back, but she hid it well from the students. "As you all know; this is Word Lore. For the past two years, we talked about the worlds each of you came from, then worlds very similar to those. This year, we will be discussing worlds that are very different. Worlds that, for one reason or another, require you to transform. That includes Pride Lands, Atlantica, Halloween Town, The Grid and Space Paranoids, and Timeless River. Now, out of these six worlds, can any of you tell me which is impossible to get to now? Casvel?"

The man in the military styled clothes looked up from his wood carving as the rest of the students turned to look at him.

"Timeless River?" Casvel answered after a moment's thought.

"Exactly. That was opened, first by accident by an agent of Darkness, Pete, then again on purpose by Merlin to allow Sora, Donald, and Goofy to set that world right and save Disney Castle. Timeless River is actually one in the same as Disney Castle, but set in that world's past," Kairi explained. The girl sitting next to Casvel sighed softly, shaking her head. "Sora, Donald, and Goofy then locked the door Pete was using, sealing it off so that no one could attempt to destroy Disney Castle by going into the past again," Kairi continued, before turning to the board and hanging a drawn picture up. It was of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, yet they looked different.

They were in black and white, and looked like old-time cartoons, with noodle like limbs, and glove clad hands. There was even a startling lack of detail in Sora's clothes, which were usually a lot more complicated.

"These are accurate renditions, drawn by Naminé, of Sora, Donald, and Goofy while they were in Timeless River. It seems as time went on, even the appearance of Disney Castle and Disney Town changed to how it appears now, no doubt due to the magic that is so deeply embedded in that world," Kairi explained.

"Why are we learning about this world if we can't even get to it?" the girl next to Casvel muttered with a sigh.

"Probably as a way to lead into Disney Castle and Town. Besides, Roma, you know what they say about the past," Casvel answered, focused once more on his wood carving.

"It should stay in the past?" Roma replied, a little cheekily. Casvel chuckled softly, but there was no humor in it.

"It can repeat itself." He glanced up from his carving and over at the empty seat on Roma's other side. Roma looked down at the desk surface in front of her, a small sigh escaping her.

"I didn't know he was serious. I thought we'd see him again at the start of this semester," she muttered softly. Casvel simply nodded, staying silent.

…

The second years gathered in the room assigned to the Reconnaissance class. In the center of the room was a young, handsome man of eighteen. His hair, swept into a regal princely style, gleamed blondish-brown in the sun light coming through the window, while his large, round blue eyes glowed with happiness.

He was wearing a royal blue tunic with large, circular puffed sleeves and silver accents. The sleeves were tucked into a pair of brown leather gloves, embroidered with an elegant insignia in silver. Royal blue, form fitting leggings glad his legs, tucked into heeled boots that matched his gloves.

He sat on a desk, surrounded by most of the other students, laughing as he recounted his first time on the back of a horse.

"Having fun?" A girl, around the age of eighteen asked, sitting next to one of the men sitting on the edge of the group, chuckling.

The girl's long, bright orangish-yellow hair was tied up around the back of her head, her gold eyes bright with amusement as she watched the young man in the center of the crowd. Her upper body and arms were covered in white tape, with gold arm bands over top of that. Around her waist was a white, ripped up covering, and her legs were covered in golden baggy pants, with two red sun symbols on each pant leg. Completing the look was a pair of white and gold shoes.

"Heh, yeah. Tristan sure knows how to draw a crowd," the man, who turned out to be Miles, said, his arms crossed.

Miles who was around seventeen, wore a black zippered sleeveless shirt, layered with a maroon zippered cargo jacket. He wore a pair of black cargo pants and a maroon belt with a few items attached to it.

"That he does. Including you," the girl teased. Miles chuckled softly.

"He's on our team, Ama. I can't get away from him," Miles replied with some amusement. Ama simply smiled, shaking her head.

Just then, Master Xion walked in. Her black hair was a lot longer than it once was, tied back into a low ponytail that just reached mid-back.

"Alright, class, settle down. Tristan, off the desk," she said as she reached the desk at the front. Tristan simply grinned, sliding down and walking over to Miles and Ama.

"Don't worry, guys. I'll finish telling it later," he said brightly to the rest of the class as he sat next to Miles. Together, the three made up Team White Sword.

Once the class was settled, Xion began.

"As you all should know by now, from taking Maintaining World Order, doing your job as Keyblade Wielders sometimes means going to worlds that do not know of other worlds. Leon is great at telling you guys what _not_ to do, but that doesn't help when you need to learn information," Xion explained. "It's for this reason that we've decided to start this class this year. Reconnaissance is all about finding information without giving yourself away, appearing suspicious, or disrupting the order of the worlds."

"But don't we need to ask questions to learn anything about the worlds we go to?" Ama asked, raising her hand. Xion smiled at her.

"Not necessarily. Sometimes, studying the environment, geography, and architecture is extremely informative. Other times, people watching, or going to an inn, pub, restaurant, or whatever that world has as a gossip center can yield more information then asking someone ever would. And this information is always much more reliable then asking a person, who might become guarded when spoken directly to, or more likely to lie to a stranger then to their neighbor.

"But how do we do all that?" Miles asked.

"Well, that's what I'll be teaching you," Xion said with a smile. "We'll start with pictures from different worlds, so that you can try your hand at observation and deduction, then go from there."

…

As Leon walked into the classroom, the muttering from the students immediately died. They knew Leon was one of the few teachers in the Academy who you do not mess with.

He reached the desk at the front of the room, and turned to face the students. Watching him were the fourth years, Teams Destiny, Twilight, and Departure. He sighed, putting his stuff down.

"Alright, we'll get started," he said. "I don't know how many different times and different ways I can tell you not to screw up the world order, but as your Masters weren't that great at it—" he looked directly at Kai, thinking of Sora "—here we go. Don't. Screw. Up. The. World. Order."

…

 **A/N:** Here we are! The first of the completely new chapters!

Kaya belongs to Wolfiered23

Casvel belongs to LuciferXIII TrollKaiger Green

Roma belongs to ImmortalAssassinz

(Casvel and Roma are a little OOC from what you sent me for reasons hinted at in their part. They'll be back to normal soon, no worries.)

Tristan belongs to MysticalMosaic

Miles belongs to Watch Me Whipped Cream

Ama belongs to MusixDrag

And the rest of the OCs belong to me

I will be attempting a chapter a week, so so long until next week! Next time, on _Paopu Academy_ , will be combat classes!


	6. Ep 3 – Classes (pt 2)

**A/N:** Okay guys. I know I said weekly updates, and I wasn't lying! I promise! I just had a hard time writing this last week. I'm also trying to get stuff ready for an event in NYC come mid-August, and I've finally got a job that I'll be working semi-full time.

I know this sounds like a lot of excuses, but for real, it's not. But because most days, I'll be working eight hour shifts, then coming home and working on stuff for my career, I have to change it up a little with how I update. Rather than working on this on Mondays (except yesterday), I'll be working on this on my first day off each week. That means the next tentive update will be Thursday.

I say tentive because things can and do come up. But this is the timeframe I'm looking at right now.

Alright, enough talking from me. ONWARD!

…

Ep 3 – Classes

 _Pt 2 – Combat_

Combat classes were set up a little differently from the theory classes. Each of the four classes happened three times a week, compared to the two days for theory. The second way was that students weren't split into classes based on team, but by fighting style, meaning they were in class with other students who had similar fighting styles, no matter the year.

That's why there were four different types of combat class: Speed, Magic, Strength, and Dual Wielding.

The classes took place in one of the castle's interior court yards, where there was a low wall for students to sit or lean on, and a wide, open grassy area for mock battles and sparring matches.

Terra, the teacher of the Strength Combat class, walked into the courtyard, glancing over at where the students were.

His class had a grand total of five students. His previous apprentice, Bion, was sitting on the wall next to Kaya, his teammate, telling her a story (no doubt of one of his feats in the Coliseum games from his home). Kaya was shaking her head at him, a half amused smile on her face. On the other side of her was Collen of Team Destiny, who was leaning forward slightly to listen to Bion's story.

Even Miles of Team White Sword seemed interested from where he was leaning against the wall, a little further down from the three four years. Finally, Bion finished his story and turned to the second year, asking if he had any interesting stories. Miles shook his head with a weak laugh, before quickly turning his eyes back to the book in his hand.

"Wait," Terra muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Has anyone seen—" he began in a louder voice, getting the attention of the four. Before he could finish the sentence, Hazel rushed into the court yard.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" she huffed, loping over to the wall and jumping onto it, her cheeks red from exertion and embarrassment. "I um… went to the wrong court yard," she admitted. Terra smiled at her.

"It's okay. You're actually just on time. Alright, class, we'll start," he said. The five focused on him, Miles slipping his book into his book bag. "As you three know," Terra started, nodding to the three fourth years, "this class teaches you how to utilize your strength to make you better fighters. What you learn here will not only help you in Sora's Teambuilding classes, but it'll also help you survive in the real world if you ever have to face the threat of darkness."

Hazel's hand slowly lifted into the air.

"Yes?" Terra asked.

"Do you think we _will_ ever have to face that threat?" she asked. Terra shifted his stance, moving his weight from one foot to the other.

"Well…" he seemed to hesitate a moment. "I don't know. I hope not. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared," he finally said. Kaya, Bion, and Collen exchanged glances, which weren't lost on Miles or Hazel. Terra quickly moved on.

"But!" he said, clapping his hands together once, "for now, let's just focus on learning to wield those Keyblades of yours, right? Hazel, I heard you did well in your team assignment assessment. How about you… and Miles spar for us. That way, I can assess what you need to learn, and for you, Miles, I can see what you've retained from last semester.

"Okay!" Hazel said brightly, hopping up and darting over to the open area. Terra chuckled, moving back slightly. Miles nodded, moving forward slightly slower than the excited first year. Terra positioned them so that there was a little bit of distance between the two.

"Alright, get ready," he said, stepping back.

Hazel grinned wildly, summoning her spear-like Keyblade, Jungle Fang, and dropped into her fighting stance: crouched forward, close to the ground, feet spread apart, her toes stretched to grip at the grass. The grip of the Keyblade was in her left hand in front of her, her right hand raised behind her, palm facing the ground.

Miles also summoned his Keyblade, Limitless Escape. The handguard was a black oval, and the blade was a long, maroon shaft. Designs like black vines wrapped around the blade, and the teeth of the key was formed from two black thorns. A small maroon flower swung from the keychain.

He shifted into his own fighting stance; Limitless Escape held in front of him, feet spread wide, and both shoulders facing front.

"Alright… begin!" Terra called.

Like her fight against Sora, the word had barely left Terra's mouth before Hazel was on the move. She darted around Miles and rushed him from the side. Miles quickly turned to face her and easily blocked her attack, parrying her Keyblade, throwing her off balance, and forcing an opening. He then swung his Keyblade heavily at her side. His swings were a bit slower, and took more effort, but if they connected, they could be devastating.

Rather than try to regain her balance, Hazel let herself drop to the ground, narrowly avoiding the horizontal strike. She quickly rolled backwards, away from the man, and back to her feet. She didn't rush forward again, however, and a wary light had entered her eyes.

Miles, meanwhile, frowned slightly at the missed attack, but watched Hazel carefully as the girl slowly circled him.

He suddenly darted towards her, swinging his Keyblade in a vertical strike. Hazel's eyes widened, and she raised her Keyblade to block the attack, bracing it near the teeth with her right hand, like a spear.

Limitless Escape crashed into Jungle Fang, and Hazel let out a surprised gasped as she was instantly forced to her knees from the man's strength. Miles turned his Keyblade so that the teeth hooked onto the shaft of Hazel's, and yanked towards himself, ripping the blade from the girl's grasp and sending it flying into the air behind him. Hazel looked up at him in surprise, before baring her teeth at him.

"That's enough," Terra said, stepping forward. "Good job, you two. Miles, I'm glad to see you still remember most of what I taught you," the man said. Miles smiled slightly, stepping back and desummoning Limitless Escape. Terra helped Hazel to her feet. "And Hazel, you did good. Though, we're going to have to teach you to not rush your opponent like that before you know their strength. The first strike in a battle is usually the most decisive, and if Miles _had_ landed that first strike on you… well, that would have decided the battle," Terra said.

"Right," Hazel said with a nod, before looking over at Miles. "Good battle?" she offered.

"Yeah," Miles said with a small smile.

After that, Terra split the rest of the class into pairs. Bion was paired with Miles, just to practice what the younger one had learned the previous year, while Collen and Kaya sparred. Meanwhile, Terra himself paired with Hazel, giving her some personal training.

…

Near the end of Strength, other students started entering the courtyard, milling around the low wall while Terra finished up with the five. Kai, Mora, and Chuck sat together, though Mora was ignoring the boy's conversation, focused on a coding project she was doing on her Identity Disk. Casvel stood a little away from them, his arms crossed as he watched Collen and Kaya's sparring bout, and Ama was shaking her head at where Bion and Miles were finishing up their practice.

Lea slipped into the courtyard and leaned against the wall, watching not only Terra's class, but his own students as well.

"Alright, class. That's enough. It seems like Master Lea is ready to get started," Terra said as he spotted the ginger master. Hazel walked over to a cooler that sat next to the low wall, grabbing a water bottle, before sitting. She was in this class too. Collen, Kaya, Bion, and Miles gathered their things, and followed Terra out. Lea stepped forward.

"Alright, guys. Mora, put your project away. Today is your first day in Speed Combat. While we just saw Terra showing his students how to use brute strength, I'm going to teach you to use your speed to your advantage. Got it memorized?" he asked. There were a few chuckles from the class, mainly the fourth years. "Alright then! I'm going to split you guys into pairs, and you'll spar. I'll walk around and watch, and we'll go from there," he said with a smile, and the students nodded.

"Kai, Mora, you're pair one. Go to that corner," he said. Mora nodded, standing and walking away. Meanwhile, Kai's cheeks had flushed slightly.

"Um—" he boy started.

"Go." Kai blushed a little more, but stood and walked over. Lea shook his head, before turning back to the group. "Chuck, Hazel, you're the next group. You'll be over there." Lea hesitated, and looked at Hazel. "I know Terra's a tough teacher. Will you be up for this?" he asked. Hazel grinned at him.

"Sure," she said, standing and walking over to the area Lea had indicated.

"Sweet!" Chuck cheered, darting after her.

"Which leave you, Amaterasu, with Casvel. You two will be over here," Lea said, pointing to another open area. "Oh! And you're _just_ using your Keyblades in this class. No spear—" he said, looking at Casvel. "And no floating magic mirror thingy," he added to Ama.

"Yes, Master Lea," the two of them said.

"Alright, guys! You can start whenever you're ready!" Lea called.

Kai and Mora started in their corner, but it was clear that Kai was kind of distracted. As Mora locked Keyblades with him, she scowled.

"You are a much better fighter then this, Kai. Why are you so sloppy today?" she demanded. Kai's cheeks darkened from rose pink to magenta.

"N-no reason!" he muttered, pushing her back. Mora scowled, muttering something about it being illogical, before she attacked once more.

Meanwhile, Hazel and Chuck would dart at each other, going for quick strikes, while the other would use their speed to dodge. Hazel's flexibility helped her a lot, but Chuck's experience and training gave him the edge over her.

Casvel and Ama were circling each other. Casvel was slowly dragging his Keyblade, Rot Krieg, on the ground behind him, almost like it was too heavy for him. Rot Krieg had a dark purple, spiky handguard, with red gems set into it. The blade was red on one side, black on the other, with yellow spikes arching off the back. At the tip, the black half of the blade formed into half a heart with a red diamond in the center. Along the outside of the heart were four yellow spikes. The red and black parts of the blade formed a scythe shaped blade, forming the key teeth. It was large and looked rather heavy, which would have worked great to fool Ama about his true fighting style…

…except for the fact that they were in _Speed_ Combat.

Meanwhile, Ama stood in a offensive stance, her Keyblade, Solaris Star, pointed forward over her head. Solaris Star was gold with bright orange-yellow patches all over it. The Handle had white tap over it with some hanging off. It was long, like a samurai's sword, and the key was formed into the shape of the sun.

Suddenly, Casvel shot forward towards the girl, gaining momentum. As he reached Ama, he attacked, his strikes precise. Ama managed to block his attacks, but before she could counter, Casvel was back out of range, using a hit-and-run technique. Ama scowled slightly at that, then shot forward herself.

Her own attacks flew at him in a flurry, aiming for his knees, ankles, and elbows. Casvel managed to dodge and block most, but winced as her blade connected with the elbow of his non-dominate hand. Before she could move away, he was on the move, circling the girl and attack her from behind. This time, his strikes found their target: Ama's side. She gasped in pain and surprise, and quickly fell back from him, switching stances.

This time, she stood defensively, her Keyblade held at her side, almost like it was sheathed. She never once let go of the handle though. She stood rock still, watching Casvel closely.

Casvel watched her as well, before rushing forward again, going for another hit-and-run attack. Ama was ready this time, however.

As Casvel began his first strike, Ama's Keyblade was suddenly between the two of them. She caught Rot Krieg on her Keyblade, staggering under the weight, but threw it aside, forcing an opening as Casvel staggered slightly. She swung Solaris Star, ready to land a solid hit, when Casvel dropped to the ground under the strike, and kicked her legs out from under her. Ama fell with a gasp of shock, while Casvel jumped back.

Both froze as there was clapping from the side. Both looked up to see Master Lea standing there with a smile. He finished clapping and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Good job, you two. Ama, I'm impressed. You kept up with Casvel easily, and adapted to the situation. And Casvel," he turned to the man. "It's clear to see your training is paying off. There were multiple times you could have ended her." Lea shrugged. "You know, if this had been a real battle."

"Thank you, Master," both students panted, glancing at each other.

"Well, class is about to end," Lea said, pointing over his shoulder to where the next batch of Combat students were gathering at the wall. "Good job, you two." He turned and walked away. Casvel nodded slightly, before glancing over at Ama, who was desummoning her blade.

"He's right. You were impressive today," he said gruffly, desummoning his own blade.

"Oh, thanks," Ama said, surprised. It was rare to hear a complement out of the third year. "You were pretty good yourself," she added with a smile. Casvel chuckled slightly, before walking away. Ama frowned slightly at that. "He's changed since last year," she muttered to herself. "I wonder wh—oh…" she cut herself off, remembering about the third member of Team Battle Magus. "Right."

…

Magic Combat class, by far, was the largest. Compared to the five and six students in strength and speed, respectively, magic had eight.

Kaya had returned for this class, and was sitting with her other team member, Jasper. With them was also Mei, Gina, and the second year, Tristan. Jasper was humming some tune, while Gina sang along softly, and the other three listened. Sitting near to the group of four years (and one second year) were Amber and Chronos of Team Dragon Light, who was listening to the third year, Roma, who was telling them how this class would go.

"Alright, class, now that we have the space to ourselves, let's get started," Master Aqua said, walking over so that she stood in front of the class. Everyone fell quiet and turned to her. "Good. Now as you know, this is Magic Combat class. Here, you will learn how to infuse magic into your fighting style. Just like the other types of fighting, this style takes a lot of training, and maybe even more concentration." At this, she glanced at Tristan, whose concentration had shifted from her to two squirrels playing in the corner of the courtyard. Gina gently elbowed the boy, and he quickly turned his attention back to the Master.

"Right," she muttered, before shaking her head. "Alright, we're going to do two mock battles." She turned her attention back on the second-year prince. "Who would like to face Tristan?"

"W-wait! Don't I get a choice in this?" Tristan protested.

"No. I'm volunteering you," she said, before scanning the class. The older students knew about Tristan's hatred for Combat class, and none wanted to humiliate him, and the two first years didn't want to embarrass themselves. "Alright, then, I guess I'm going to volunteer your opponent, too," she sighed.

"Told you. Tough, but fair," Roma muttered to the two first years, who nodded.

"Chronos. You'll face Tristan. I want both of you to come up front," Aqua said. Chronos winced slightly at being called on, but sighed and stood, walking over. Tristan also sighed as he came over. Aqua moved them apart, and had them summon their blades.

Chronos held Strikes Twelve level in front of him, ready to parry attacks.

Meanwhile, as Tristan summoned his own blade, Glass Graciousness, he straightened, automatically moving into the traditional fencer stance: back and shoulders straight, off-hand behind his back, feet shoulder-width part, front foot and blade pointed forward.

Glass Graciousness was a little shorter than the standard Keyblade and made to look like glass. The blade was narrow, shaped like a fencer's sword, with diamond like hearts as the teeth. The handguard was shaped as a pumpkin carriage, hollow in the middle and weaved intricately around the user's hand filigree-style, shaped more like a basket handguard as opposed to the standard Keyblade guard. A glass chain hung from the guard, ending in a small glass slipper.

"No summons," Aurora said. "You need to rely on your own strength as much as your friends. Now, begin!"

Both boys eyed each other cautiously. Normally confident Tristan was hesitating, his grip on his blade so tight, his knuckles were white. Meanwhile, Chronos was eyeing him, fully aware the prince had more training then him, both with the Keyblade, and obviously with fencing.

Finally, Tristan made a move. " _Blizzard!"_ he called, spinning his Keyblade and pointing it at Chronos, who dove to the side.

" _Slow!"_ he called, pointing Strikes Twelve at Tristan. Tristan quickly cast Reflect, causing the spell to rebound on the caster, who dodged once again.

After that, the boys circled each other once more, as though trying to get a feel for each other.

This time, Chronos made the first move. " _Haste!"_ he called. A clock face made of gold light appeared on the ground under him, the clock hands spinning quickly around the clock face. Gold light surrounded Chronos, and he shot forward. Tristan's eyes widened.

" _Aero!"_ he called. A whirlwind of air appeared around him, causing his slightly windblown blondish-brown hair to appear even more windswept. Chronos's Keyblade bounced off of the wall of air, throwing the boy off balance as the gold light drained from around him. He tried to use another slow spell, but yet again, it was blocked by Reflect.

A few more minutes of this, Aqua called time.

"Alright, guys. That was… a good start." She sighed. "I understand both of you act more as support to your teams then actual fighters, but there might come a time where you will have to defend yourself, or even your team, if they are unable to fight for themselves," she explained as the boys sat, desummoning their blades. She scanned the class. "Gina. You're mostly support on your team. I want you to show these two what I mean," she said.

"Yes, Master Aqua," Gina said, standing and walking over to the cleared area. Aqua's eyes traveled over the rest of the class. "And Roma. You're mostly magical offense. You'll be facing Gina."

"Okay, Master Aqua." Roma stood and joined Gina on the field, standing across from her. Both girls summoned their Keyblades.

Gina stood with her feet together, holding her blade, Healing Waters, in her right hand pointed at the ground, her left hand hovering over a pouch that was tied to her waist. Aqua noticed.

"No Mixing," she said. Gina sighed, but smiled.

"Alright," she said, moving her left hand so it was held in front of her.

Roma, on the other hand, stood with her right foot forward, left foot back, bent at the knees. Her Keyblade, Misfit's Key, was held in her right hand, while her left hand was raised, prepared to help redirect attacks.

Misfit's Key was the size of a short sword, with a black, almost square handguard. A sliver chain with a lion's head hung from the end of the guard, and the blade was silver with a white line going through the center. The key part was made of three arrows, the one closest to the tip the longest, the one on the other side the shortest.

"Begin!" Aqua called.

" _Fire!_ "

" _NulBlaze!"_

The two cries almost overlapped each other, and a fireball shot out of the tip of Roma's Keyblade, slamming into Gina. Gina was surrounded by an orange-reddish glow, however, and the light seemed to absorb the fire, leaving Gina unharmed. The light flashed brightly, then faded from around the girl.

Gina rushed forward, while Roma planted her feet, shooting two _Thunder_ spells at her. Gina managed to use _NulShock_ to absorb the first spell, but the second one slammed into her, throwing her back and causing the class to gasp. Gina quickly rolled to her feet and cast _Cura_ , before studying Roma.

Suddenly, she threw her Keyblade at Roma. The latter dodged the blade, but Gina was already on the move, darting to the side and holding out her right hand.

" _Faith!"_ she called as the Keyblade reappeared in her hand, casting a low level light spell. The light shot from her Keyblade and hit the distracted Roma, throwing her back.

"Alright, girls, that's enough," Aqua called. Roma shook her head, pushing herself to her feet, and Gina case _Cura_ on her. The Master then turned to Chronos and Tristan.

"As you can see, Gina was at a disadvantage. Her magic only allows her to buff and heal herself and her team. Chronos, you know magic that'll debuff your enemies, and Tristan, _you_ do know offensive magic _and_ you have formal sword training. Both of you have advantages over Gina, but she used her buffing abilities to her advantage. If she had managed to cast _NulShock_ quickly enough to block the second _Thunder_ spell, she would have been able to reach Roma and attacked with her Keyblade. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," both boys said. Aqua nodded, before splitting the class up into pairs, observing each sparring match.

…

As Magic Combat class came to a close, Ama, Mora, Casvel, and Bion returned for Dual Wielding Combat, and Aqua dismissed her class as Roxas entered the courtyard. The only one who stayed from the Magic Combat class was Amber.

"Alright, class, let's not waste any time," Roxas said with a smile, walking over so that he was in front of the class. "All of you except one has already taken this class, and all of you have already taken some kind of combat class today. Ama, Bion, and Casvel, you three will practice what you learned last semester. Any questions?"

Mora raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"What will Amber and I be doing?" she asked.

"I need your help with testing Amber, to see where she is, fighting wise," Roxas said. Mora nodded in understanding. "Alright, let's get started!"

While the other three started practicing, Bion with his Keyblade and shield, Casvel with his Keyblade and spear, and Ama with her Keyblade and magic mirror, Roxas drew his old apprentice and the first year over to the other half of the courtyard.

"You're allowed to use both weapons," Roxas explained. "And, Mora, go easy on her."

"Yes, Master," Mora said, pulling her Identity Disk off her back, and summoning her Keyblade, Dual Identity. She crouched low to the ground, Dual Identity in front of her in her right hand, the Disk close to the ground in her left.

Amber took a deep breath, unsheathed her Holy Sword, and summoned her own Keyblade, Sleeping Lion. She stood in the ballet first position, her left arm holding Holy Sword at a diagonal, and her right holding Sleeping Lion in the same way. Roxas nodded slightly.

"Alright, begin!" he called.

Mora was instantly on the move, darting towards Amber. The latter raised Sleeping Lion, blocking a swift attack from the older girl, before slashing at her with the Holy Sword. Mora jumped back, dodging the strike, and threw her Identity Disk. Amber managed to duck under that attack, and darted forward herself, going for a swift combo using both blades. Mora easily dodged it, swaying out of the way of the blades.

Meanwhile, Roxas nodded to himself, taking note of how Amber's left arm was a little slower than her right, with less power and precision.

Mora seemed to realize this as well. She ducked under a swing from the Holy Sword, before raising her Identity Disk, catching the teeth of Sleeping Lion in the empty center and trapping it there. She then swung Dual Identity at Amber, taking advantage of her weaker left hand.

Amber adapted quickly, however. She let go of Sleeping Lion and jumped back, switching the Holy Sword from her left to her right hand, before diving in once more. Roxas nodded, impressed by that.

After a bit longer, Roxas called time, letting Mora go to where the other three were to do her own exercises. He then turned to Amber.

"The biggest thing we have to work on with you is strength and precision in your left arm," he said. "You're already skilled, and adaptable on the battle field," he added with a smile. Amber smiled back a little.

"Thanks, Big Brother," Amber said with a bright smile back.

…

 **A/N:** And I'm ending it here! Like I said, hopefully I can post Thursday.

If you have an issue of how I wrote the fighting style of your character, let me know! (Experimenting with those styles was actually half the reason I wrote this chapter…)

Kaya and Amber belong to WolfieRed23

Chronos belongs to Pureshadow013

Tristan belongs to MysticalMosaic

Miles belongs to Watch Me Whipped Cream

Ama belongs to MusixDrag

Casvel belongs to LuciferXIII TrollKaiger Green

Roma belongs to ImmortalAssassinz

The rest of the OCs belong to me, myself, and I!


	7. Ep 4 - The New Keyblade Wielder (pt 1)

**A/N:** I have returned! Here's the next chapter, and the first part of Episode 4! I was going to showcase the electives as part of Episode 3, but I couldn't really figure out how to do it, and they're not really important to the overall plot, so… I decided to skip that.

Also, I think, what I'm going to do is write two to three episodes (not chapters) of this story, (depending on how long each are) in between each story on my main account. So this time, I'm going to do Episodes 4, 5, and 6. The main part of this story will have 16/17 episodes total, before each team will get their own personal stories.

We get to learn a lot more about Gina in this episode!

Well, nothing else to say. ONWARD!

…

Ep 4 – A New Keyblade Wielder

 _Pt 1 – The Kingdom of the Sea_

Fridays were usually the least busy for the students, each usually only having one or two classes that day, if any at all. That's because the classes taught on Friday were optional – the electives.

Because of this, most students would wonder the castle or town, usually starting their weekends early. Gina, of Team Destiny, however, had let Kai and Collen go on ahead, while she finished with one of her synthesis projects.

"And… there we go!" she breathed, carefully adding a single drop of the last ingredient. The blue concoction glowed for a moment, before turning emerald green. Gina smiled and capped the bottle, carefully placing it in the bag at her hip, before noticing a golden glow on the walls around her. She glanced over her shoulder, and spotted a ball of golden light floating there, a blurry figure shown inside. She gasped softly.

"Master Yen Sid?"

…

Roxas loved Fridays. It meant he had an extra day off, one where he could just relax without having any responsibilities. He'd long ago learned how to actually take a day off, and was now sitting on the roof of the castle, enjoying an ice cream, watching the town.

 _Not exactly the clock tower in Twilight Town, but it's still nice up here…_ he thought, the wind tugging at his spikes. He glanced down at his ice cream bar as he finished the last bite, and carefully placed the stick aside, planning on throwing it out when he went back inside. With a yawn, he stretched his arms over his head, and laid back, looking up at the sky.

His eyes drifted closed.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, blocking out the sun that had been warming his face. With a confused frown, he opened his eyes.

Gina was standing over him, staring down at him.

" _WHOA!"_ he gasped, shooting back into a sitting position, only to hear the apprentice giggle.

"I'm sorry, Master Roxas. I didn't mean to startle you," she said as the master turned to face her. His eyes, however, were drawn to the ball of light floating at her elbow.

"Um, it's okay. Master Yen Sid?" he asked.

"Master Roxas. Were you enjoying your nap?" If Roxas didn't know better, he'd say the old wizard sounded amused. "I have contacted young Gina because of the appearance of a new Keyblade Wielder."

"Wait, what?" Roxas asked. He was confused. Usually, Yen Sid came to one of the Masters. What was different this time?

"Apparently, this new wielder is in my home, Atlantica," Gina explained.

"Ah." Roxas knew the only ones of the Masters to have been to that world were Sora, Kairi, and Riku, but they were probably busy with students or lesson plans.

"I had hoped Gina would assist one of the Masters in retrieving this new Wielder, and she has agreed. I cannot tell exactly where the new Keyblade Wielder is, just that they are on that world," Yen Sid explained. Roxas nodded.

"Well then, I guess we'd better get started. Are you ready?" he asked, directing the question at Gina, who nodded.

"I will leave the rest to you two. You will need this." The ball of light passed over Roxas's outstretched hand, leaving a pendent there. "That will only work once." The light faded. Roxas shook his head, reaching to put the pendant on. Gina caught his hand.

"Um, that's probably to make you into a Mer-person, so…" she trailed off. Roxas blinked.

"Right. I should wait to put it on then," he said. Gina nodded. Roxas shrugged, putting the pendant in his pocket, stretched once more, and reached up to where he wore a chest plate under his un-zipped jacket. The button to activate his armor rested just below his collar bone, which he pressed now.

In a flash of light, Roxas was encased in armor that was shaped exactly live Ven's. The coloration was different, however, a mixture of white and black plates, accented with yellow and purple.

Gina pressed the button on her hip plate. In a flash, she was encased in red, trimmed with white, armor that was similar to Aqua's, but a little more protective over her hips.

The two summoned their Gliders. Roxas's looked to be made from both his Keyblades: a white and black hover board, with an angel wing from Oathkeeper's hand guard arching from the left side, a demonic wing from Oblivion's hand guard arching from the right.

Gina's glider had the same graceful curves of her Keyblade, Healing Waters, shaped into a scooter-like glider, and was light blue and pink in coloration. The two jumped onto their gliders and shot into the air, and into the portal to the Lanes In Between that Roxas summoned.

…

Radiant Garden wasn't that far from Atlantica, and the two made it in good time, flying at top speed. As they lowered over the water, Gina dismissed her armor and stripped down the the bikini she wore under her clothes. Roxas, meanwhile, was looking between the surface of the ocean, then over at Eric's and Ariel's kingdom. He frowned slightly at seeing a large wall separating the castle from the water, but didn't ponder it too much. Instead, he turned to the apprentice with him.

"So, you know this world better than I do. How do we find this new wielder?" he asked. Gina paused in her movements of stuffing her clothes into a waterproof bag she had bought with her.

"Well, this is a big world. I'm hoping they're in King Triton's kingdom…" Gina trailed off, her eyes scanning over the blue surface. "Or King Eric's…" she added softly, before looking up at Roxas. "I guess we can start by asking King Triton."

"Alright," Roxas said, nodding. He then pulled out the pendant Yen Sid had given him. It was a piece of coral, tied to a thin, silver chain. "Ready?" he asked Gina, who nodded, her hand reaching up to her own necklace, a pink and yellow seashell held around her neck by ship twine. She pulled it up, over her head, and dived into the water below them, her glider disappearing. Roxas swore there was a flash of purple, just before her feet disappeared below the surface.

"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered, pulling the pendant on and diving after her, his glider vanishing too.

As the water surrounded him, he felt an itch on the sides of his neck. A cold feeling surrounded his torso for a moment, and he felt his legs seal together.

By the time he opened his eyes, he had totally transformed, turning from man to merman – bare-chested, with the fin of a great white shark. He reached up to his neck, and gasped, the action making water rush into the new gills on his neck.

Gina, now in her true form of a mermaid with a powerful purple fin, watched him with an amused grin, before glancing down to see what kind of tail he had.

The color drained a little from her face, and she quickly turned away.

"Gina? Are you okay?" Roxas asked. Gina quickly controlled her facial features, before turning back to the Master with a smile.

"Ye-are you okay?" she started to answer, only to see Roxas practically sideways, wind-milling his arms as he tried to right himself again.

"Fine, fine," he muttered. Gina giggled.

"Move your tail around slowly, like this. It's almost like treading water," she explained, showing him. Roxas copied her movements, and managed to quickly right himself again. Gina watched him for a few moments, before giving him a full lesson on swimming with a tail.

"Alright. It looks like you're getting it," she said after a few minutes, laughter thick in her voice. "Now, defending yourself underwater is different then—" she cut off, her eyes glued to something over Roxas's left shoulder. The Master quickly turned, and frowned.

Heartless were swimming towards them.

"Looks like I'll learn on the job," he said, summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Gina nodded, summoning her own weapon, Healing Waters. She shot forward, rocketing through the water, and slammed her Keyblade into the Heartless.

Roxas, meanwhile, tried to follow her example. He felt off balance and sluggish though, dragging his Keyblades through the water. Before he even reached the closest Heartless, he banished Oblivion, opting to fight with one blade. It made it a little easier, but the effort of dragging the Keyblade through the water was still tiring, and his muscles were on fire halfway through the battle.

He risked a glance in Gina's direction, and saw that the girl barely looked winded, her blade darting effortlessly through the water. He realized that her fighting style was different under water as well – more efficient.

A few minutes later, they had finished off the last of the Heartless. Roxas banished Oathkeeper as well, gasping for breath and feeling the odd sensation of the water being dragged through the gills on his neck.

"Are you okay, Master Roxas?" Gina asked once the man seemed to have caught his breath. Roxas nodded, looking towards her.

"Yeah. Just… that was harder than Sora lead me to believe," he answered. Gina smiled apologetically at him.

"Yeah, I was trying to tell you," she said. Roxas nodded, before looking around.

"It's alright. Now… which way do we go?" he asked. Gina looked around, before shaking her head.

"We're just outside Atlantica. Come on," she said, taking the lead. Roxas smiled, following after her.

The two swam in silence for a moment, before Gina glanced back at Roxas.

"Master," she started.

"Hm?" he hummed.

"I understand that when someone has a strong enough heart, they gain the ability to wield a Keyblade. But… where do those blades come from?" she asked. Roxas thought for a moment.

"Well, we're not entirely sure. I don't think even Master Yen Sid knows. But… Ven has a theory," he started. Gina glanced back at him curiously. "He'll probably explain it clearer when he teaches it to you and the other fourth years, but… well, he believes they come from the Keyblade Graveyard. After the Keyblade War, there were many 'dead' Keyblades left in that barren wasteland. Ven believes those Keyblades revive and go to those who are chosen by masters, such as yourself, or those who can and need one, like Chuck," Roxas explained. Gina thought over the information, before nodding slightly.

"That… makes sense," she muttered as they entered the town that surrounded Triton's palace.

Almost immediately, merpeople seemed to recognize Gina. Most smiled and waved, and Gina waved back, a grin lighting up her features.

Roxas was surprised. Gina never came back home over breaks, usually spending it with Collen or on the Islands. She never even really spoke of her time in her home world. Roxas though she had left on bad terms, but the smile on her face was genuine.

"Gina?" he started once he couldn't stand his curiosity anymore.

"Yes, Master Roxas?" she asked.

"You don't have to answer, and I know I'm probably prying, but… why is it you never come home for breaks?" he asked.

Gina looked forward. Roxas waited as the seconds of silence stretched to minutes. Just as he was thinking she decided not to answer, she spoke up, her voice soft.

"I love it here. I really do. And I don't mind visiting for the day, or for a mission. But to relax and spend time with family…? I… can't exactly do that," she admitted, glancing back at the master. Rather than looking at his face, however, her eyes drifted over to his tail – that of a great white shark.

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Oh. I… I'm sorry, Gina," he said. Gina shook her head.

"It's okay. It was a long time ago. And I kind of lived by myself for a while, making a living as a healer, before Masters Sora and Kairi found me," she explained. Roxas nodded, knowing the story.

Sora and Kairi had come to visit their friends, and found King Triton getting ready to go investigate the lair of a Sea Witch. So far, she'd only used her gifts to heal his people, but he was worried she was dabbling in darker magics, especially since she had broken into Ursala's abandoned Lair and stole her spells. Sora and Kairi went with him.

However, what they found was a fourteen-year-old girl who just wanted to help people. The only spells she had stolen from the late sea witch had been healing magic. Kairi decided to take her on as an apprentice, seeing the light in her heart, and King Triton apologized, giving her the sea shell necklace that gave her legs when she wore it.

What Roxas hadn't known was that Gina had been all by herself, for who knew how long.

The two finally reached the palace and were lead to King Triton's throne room.

"Your Majesty," Gina said, bowing. Roxas followed her example.

"Gina? And you must be one of the Master's from her school," Triton said, shifting slightly at the thought of having two Keyblade Wielders show up on his doorstep. That usually meant trouble for his kingdom.

"Yes, King Triton. My name is Roxas," Roxas said, before noticing his unease. He smiled slightly. "We're not here because of any kind of trouble, sire," he said. Triton couldn't help but smile at how respectful Roxas was, compared to the _other_ Keyblade wielder he knew.

"Well, then, what can I help you with?" he asked, addressing Roxas, noticing how Gina seemed to defer to him.

"One of the Keyblade Masters at our school sensed a new Keyblade appear in this world. We were hoping if you know anything about this?" he asked. Triton stroked his beard thoughtfully, before slowly shaking his head.

"If there is one on this world, they are not of this kingdom," he finally said. Both Roxas and Gina deflated slightly, but Triton nodded slightly to himself. "However…" the two wielders perked up, "I have sensed a rise in Heartless in Eric's kingdom. That might be your best chance."

"Eric's Kingdom… the land one?" Roxas asked. Both Gina and the King nodded, and Roxas sighed with a small smile.

Alright, we'll try there next," he said.

…

 **A/N:** And I'm ending this here! This Episode will have two parts, and introduces another OC!

Alright, nothing left to say here, except that the only OC in this chapter, Gina, belongs to me (as well as the ones that were mentioned). Part 2 of this episode will feature them back on land!


	8. Ep 4 - The New Keyblade Wielder (pt 2)

**A/N:** Hi guys! So I was going to work on one of my original stories today, but since I updated this yesterday, there is a certain scene that just WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE!

So, because of this, you get another chapter this week. Rejoice!

Haha, nothing else to say here.

ONWARD!

…

Ep 4 – A New Keyblade Wielder

 _Pt 2 – The Kingdom of the Land_

Just as Roxas was getting used to swimming with a tail, he and Gina reached the wall that surrounded the castle.

"What is this, anyway?" he asked, looking up at it. Gina looked up at the wall as well, swimming alongside it, a frown on her face.

"When King Eric and Queen Ariel had their daughter, Princess Melody, they celebrated her birth on a ship at sea, so that both kingdoms could celebrate. It was amazing, honestly," Gina said, before shaking her head. "At least, until Ursula's sister, Morgana, showed up." A shudder rushed through Gina. She had been so young at the time, but she remembered it vividly. "She threatened to cause the princess harm, using her to get King Triton's trident. The two kings, and Queen Ariel, managed to chase her off, but… in order to protect the princess, the Queen has decided she must not know about the sea world. This wall is to keep the world of the sea out of the kingdom… and to keep the princess from the sea," she explained. Roxas frowned up at the wall.

"That's… kind of sad," he muttered. Gina nodded in agreement, before stopping at a low window of sorts. It was barred, but Gina reached over, easily popping one of the bars out of place.

"Here we go," she muttered. Roxas snorted.

"That doesn't seem all that secure," he said, slipping in after her. "How do you even know about that?"

"Uh… well, I have a friend in the castle, and I used to sneak in to visit her, you know, before I left with Masters Kairi and Sora," Gina explained. Roxas shook his head with a smile, the two of them reaching the beach. Gina pulled herself up onto the sand, and away from the water.

" _NulTide,"_ she muttered. Blue light flashed around her, before vanishing, leaving her completely dry. She quickly pulled her seashell pendent from her waterproof bag and put it back around her neck, causing her purple mermaid tail to turn back into a pair of human legs.

Roxas dragged himself onto the sand next to her, and she cast the same spell on him. He reached up and pulled his own pendant off. True to Master Yen Sid's words, the pendant worked only once: as soon as it was free from his neck, it turned into gold dust, which immediately blew away.

Warmth rushed over Roxas, his tail unfusing, becoming human legs clad in pants and boots, and his torso was once again wrapped in his shirt, chest plate, and jacket. An itch at the sides of his neck alerted him to the fact that the gills were sealing back up, like they had never been there to begin with.

Gina pulled her white and red top, purple skirt wrap, and purple flats on, before standing, brushing the sand off her legs. Roxas pushed himself to his own feet, and almost instantly fell again. Gina caught his arm as he stumbled, and laughed.

"Careful," she said, her eyes glowing with amusement. "You need to regain your land-legs."

"I've already done that," Roxas grumbled, motioning to his legs, which felt like jello – though he knew she meant getting used to standing on land again. The corners of her mouth twitched, and he could tell she was trying hard not to laugh at him.

After another moment, when his legs felt steadier, he began to walk towards the castle, trying to figure out how'd they get an audience with the king, let alone the guards at the gate.

"We can say we're here to see my friend. She's the royal medic for the king, so she'll be able to get us an audience with him faster," Gina suggested, seemingly reading his mind. Roxas nodded, and the two reached the gate.

Surprisingly, their story wasn't needed. The gate was completely unguarded.

Gina summoned Healing Waters. "Something's wrong. The gate never goes unguarded."

Roxas nodded, summoning his own Keyblades. "Do you know your way around the castle?"

"Only what Sophia – my friend – told me. I've never been inside myself, but I know her chambers is on the third floor," Gina explained. Roxas nodded, striding forward.

"Then that's where we'll start."

Gina followed close to Roxas, watching his back as they made their way through the empty, eerily quiet halls.

They heard the battle raging on the third floor before they saw it. The two wielders glanced at each other, before rushing forward, taking the turn at high speed, and skidding to a stop.

Castle guards swarmed the hall, fighting Shadow and Soldier Heartless that darted around them. Gina's eyes widened, and she turned to look at Roxas, who nodded before diving into the struggle. Gina watched carefully, casting basic _Protect_ and _Cure_ spells to keep the Master and Castle Guards healthy.

Roxas, for his part, found once again why it was a brilliant idea to have a healer along for a fight. _How did I ever survive without one?_ He thought to himself, only half joking. His Keyblades flashed as he finished off the last of the Heartless, and he sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness! We appreciate your help, but… er, who are you?" one of the guards asked. Roxas banished his Keyblades, and smiled weakly at the man.

"Um, we're—"

A scream from a nearby room cut him off. Gina's head immediately snapped to that direction, recognizing the voice.

"Sophia!" she gasped, darting forward.

"Gina, wait!" Roxas called after her, but she ignored him, crashing into the room.

A small, fragil-looking woman, in her mid-twenties, was pressed into the corner of the room, her dark, honey brown eyes wide with fear. Pressed behind her was an eleven-year-old with black hair, and slowly advancing on them was a large Heartless.

This one was different from those in the hall, however. It had the shape of a large warthog with black skin. It's back, face, and legs were protected by armor-plate-like crystals, dark purple in color. It's tusks and hooves seemed to be _made of_ those crystals.

"Hey, ugly!" Gina yelled, rushing forward. She leapt into the air, and bought her Keyblade down in a powerful overhead strike.

Normally a devastating attack, especially when used by the powerhouses of the Academy, this time it did nothing more than glance off of the crystals on the beast's back.

The attack did, however, grab the attention of the Heartless. It spun to face this new threat – it's speed surprising for its size – and threw its head to the side.

Roxas entered the room in time to see Gina fly across the room and slam into one of the walls. He held his breath, fear coursing through his veins, until he saw the girl sit up, a dazed look on her face.

He then turned to look at the other occupants of the room, to make sure they were okay, and gasped slightly.

The older of the two woman… was holding a Keyblade. That explained the Heartless in the hallway and in here.

Finally, he looked at the thing that attacked the apprentice.

"No…" he breathed. "A Crysta-hog?" The Heartless, a Crysta-hog, stomped its foot, and lowered its head, aiming for the still dazed apprentice.

"Hey!" Roxas yelled, darting over and planting himself in between the Heartless and Gina. "You wanna fight? How about someone a little more in your league." Roxas raised his Keyblades threateningly.

The Crysta-hog didn't look impressed. Instead, it lowered its head, and charged.

 _Oh man, this is going to suck,_ Roxas thought, crossing the Keyblades in front of his chest. The Heartless slammed into them, and Roxas slid backwards from the force, until his back was pressed against the wall, his Keyblades still protecting him from the tusks of the Crysta-hog. With the ease of years of training, he twisted Oblivion around the thing's tusks, locking the blade against them, and wrench his entire body to the side.

The Crysta-hog thrashed as it was forced onto its side, exposing it's unprotected belly, and the Heartless symbol. Keeping the Heartless trapped with Oblivion, he hacked away at its stomach with Oathkeeper. The Heartless thrashed, before suddenly lashing out at Roxas's leg with its hooves.

There was a sickening crunch, and agonizing pain exploded in Roxas's left knee. White lights popped in front of his eyes, and it took his suddenly muddled mind a moment to realize the cry of pain he was hearing had escaped his own lips.

His legs buckled under him, and fresh agony sprang through his injured leg. The Crysta-hog rolled to its feet once Roxas's grasp had slackened, and wrenched its head to the side, dislodging the Keyblade from its tusks. Oathkeeper laid uselessly by Roxas's side, his shaking hands reaching gingerly for his leg.

"Master!" Gina screamed. Roxas looked up, in her direction, but the Crysta-hog's face filled his vision, those crystal tusks inches from his own face.

"Oh…" he muttered, fear pounding through him as well. He immediately snatched his hand away from his knee, reaching for Oathkeeper.

That's when he felt it. A tightness in his chest. He gritted his teeth. It was different then losing his heart (a feeling he unfortunately knew all too well). Instead… it was like his heart was… hardening…

" _PROTEGA!"_ an unfamiliar voice yelled, and light suddenly exploded between Roxas and the Heartless, forming into a wall. The spell over Roxas broke, his chest feeling normal once more, and Roxas gasped, releasing a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding.

The Crysta-hog staggered back, shaking it's head from side to side. Roxas braced his hand against the wall behind him, and tried to stand, only for pain to roll through his leg again, forcing him to sit once more with a soft swear.

The door slammed open, revealing the King, Eric.

"Daddy!" the girl behind the new Keyblade wielder cried.

"Melody!? Oh thank goodness!" Eric quickly looked around the room, spotting the injured Keyblade Master, Gina, who was unsure what to do, and, of course, the Heartless.

The Heartless shook its head once more, shooting a glare in Roxas's direction, before vanishing into black smoke. Roxas stared at the spot it had been, spooked by the look – _I was probably just imagining the glare… Heartless don't glare… right?_ – until he realized his hands were shaking.

"I think we're safe," Gina said lowly. Melody immediately broke away from behind the woman and shot into her father's arms, burying her face into his chest.

The woman, on the other hand, slowly walked over to where Roxas was sitting. He had dropped his Keyblades once more, and was gently prodding his injured knee, pained hisses escaping form between his teeth.

"Allow me," the woman said, kneeling in front of the man and gently pulling his hands away, her light red hair falling in her face as she gently rolled his pant leg up, her Keyblade laying on the ground next to them. Roxas focused on her, attempting to distract himself from the pain in his leg. His studious eyes picked out brown and blond highlights amongst the red of her hair, and she was dressed like many of the women in this world: a pale pink dress with a corset and white apron. Her hair was pulled into a side ponytail that spilled over her left shoulder.

She managed to get his pant leg up and over his knee, and _tsked_. It was swollen to twice its normal size and mottled different shades of purple and blue.

"Heh. A cure spell's not gonna fix that," Roxas muttered. The woman glanced up at him, her lips quirking into a smile, before she looked back at his knee.

"True enough. This'll hurt a bit," she muttered, before gently prodding the injury, trying to feel the extent of the damage to the bone. Roxas hissed in pain, before forcing himself to focus on something – anything.

His eyes fell to the woman's Keyblade, where it laid over Oathkeeper. The hand guard looked like a sand bar, wrapped in a thick line of something that almost looked like healing magic – it glowed with a soft green light. The blade was formed by a dark blue rod that instantly made Roxas think of a White Mage's staff, and the teeth were seashells placed into the shape of a potion vial. A pale yellow seashell hung from the guard, acting as the keychain. A smile tugged at his lips.

 _So many ocean themed people… Sora, Xion at times, Kai, Kaya, Gina, and now—_

"ARGH!" Roxas tried to jerk away from the sudden pain that exploded through his leg. The woman dove forward, her hands moving from his knee to one on his thigh, one on his shin, forcing his leg to stay still with surprising strength for someone her size.

"What was that?" he panted, blinking spots from in front of his eyes.

"Your kneecap is dislocated. And… it appears to be cracked into three or four pieces," she said, almost apologetically. Roxas groaned. "I'm gonna have to set it before I can mend it… that pain was shifting one of the pieces back into place," the woman added.

"Right…" Roxas dropped his head back, letting it thump lightly against the wall. "Alright."

"Gina, come here and hold his leg still, exactly as I am now. This is going to hurt him a lot, and he'll have involuntary reactions to it," the woman said.

"Alright, Soph," Gina said, coming over and dropping to her knees next to her, her hands replacing the woman's. Eric, who was still holding Melody, watched, wanting to make sure his unexpected guest would be okay.

By the time the woman finished setting all the pieces to his broken kneecap, Roxas was soaked from sweat, his teeth gnashed tightly together. Other than a few whimpers, no sounds of pain had escaped him.

"One more step, and it'll all feel better," the woman said soothingly, placing cool hands over his swollen lump of a knee. " _Mend."_ Her hands glowed with an intense green light, which sparked almost gold. Roxas took a sharp inhale of breath through his nose, before looking down in shock, just as the glow was fading. The swelling in his knee was fading as well, and the bruises were going from livid purple, to a dull yellow; the clearest was a hoof print on the inside of his knee, where the Heartless had kicked him.

"I… what?" Roxas whispered in wonder, looking up at the woman. She appeared a little drained, but smiled all the same.

"Try bending your knee. It'll be a little stiff and tender, but nothing like before," she said, placing her hand on his ankle and guiding him. He slow bent his knee fully, before stretching it fully straight.

"Wow…" he muttered. She smiled at him.

"I'm Sophia, by the way."

"Roxas," he replied.

…

Once Sophia made sure both of them were okay, Roxas turned his attention to the king, and explained what had happened, and what they were doing there. Eric gave the decision to Sophia, letting her decide if she wanted to leave to study the Keyblade, or if she wanted to take her chances as an untrained wielder.

About two hours later, the three were making their way to back to the Academy.

…

"So, that's where you and Gina went," Sora said. Upon returning, and setting Sophia up in a room, Roxas had dismissed Gina and summoned the other masters for a meeting. Roxas nodded.

"And we found her. But… I'm not sure it'd be such a great idea to place her on a team…" Roxas admitted.

"Why not?" Aqua asked curiously.

"Well… it's mainly her age. She's 26 – only one year younger than most of us Masters." He glanced at Sora, Kairi, Ven, and Xion. "The oldest student, Kaya, is only 21, and beyond that, the only team with an open slot is Battle Magus, with the oldest on that team being 19."

"She did get her Keyblade late," Terra concluded. Roxas nodded.

"Then… what should we do? If she's not a student, but she's too inexperienced to be a teacher…" Riku trailed off. Roxas subconsciously reached down, rubbing his left knee. It still felt a little stiff.

"Well, she was the medic for the royal family… and I can personally attest to the fact that she's good at it…" he trailed off. Kairi nearly exploded out of her chair.

"Gina got hurt!?" she demanded. Roxas turned to her, shaking his head.

"No. I did. I broke my leg," he explained. "And… Sophia healed it. So… What I'm suggesting, is that she become the school nurse, and just take's private lessons with us."

"That's… not a bad idea. If she was able to mend your leg, after you broke it… Well, none of the healers we have now know how to do that…" Xion said.

"Wait—" Lea, who had been leaning back with his arms crossed, said. Here, he leaned forward, studying Roxas. "What were you doing that you broke your leg? None of us get that seriously hurt from fighting Heartless."

"It… wasn't a regular Heartless." Roxas sighed. "That's the other reason I called this meeting. It was a Crysta-hog."

Everyone reacted with various degrees of surprise. Riku leaned forward, his silver eyebrows drawn together dangerously.

"That should be impossible! We destroyed the source. Master Yen Sid said it was an isolated incident," he said, his voice pulsing with anger.

"Apparently not anymore," Roxas snapped. "Or would you like to see the hoof-shaped bruise on my knee?"

Riku's eyes widened, as though in realization, and he leaned back, holding his hands up. "Sorry. That… wasn't directed at you."

Roxas's glare softened, and he nodded.

"Right. We all remember what happened, Riku," Sora said. "And… if these things are back—did you fight it by yourself?" he cut himself off to look at Roxas, who nodded.

"Yeah. Gina was down for the moment, and I was the only other experienced Keyblade Wielder there," he said.

"Did you beat it?" Aqua asked curiously. Roxas shook his head.

"No… it ran away. But…" he hesitated, putting a hand over his heart.

"Roxas?" Lea prompted when the young man hadn't said a word for a few minutes. Roxas shook his head.

"It's nothing. After it kicked me in the knee, I don't really remember much," he said with a shrug.

Riku, meanwhile, had tuned out of the conversation, thinking back to the last time they had faced not just the Crysta-hogs, but Crystal Heartless in general.

…

 **A/N:** The scene that wouldn't leave me alone? Roxas vs. Crysta-hog, then Sophia's healing him.

Next chapter will start Episode 5, which will be about what happened the last time, and why Riku is so agitated.

I know this and the next chapter doesn't have much in the way of the other OCs, but this episode was to introduce one of the last OCs as well as an important plot point, which will be expanded on in the next episode.

(Also, in case it isn't obvious, one of the teams will be coming back to Atlantica, and will follow the plot of _The Little Mermaid 2)_

Gina belongs to me.

Sophia belongs to WolfieRed23.


	9. Ep 5–Flashback: Crystal Heartless (pt 1)

**A/N:** Alright guys, here's another chapter. Again, sorry for the lack of other OCs in this. I'm laying the foundation for the deeper plot that'll be very important to the later parts. But I promise the next episode will feature some of your guys' OCs!

I don't really have much else to say here, so here we go!

…

Ep 5 – Flashback: Crystal Heartless

 _Pt 1 – A New Heartless_

The first – and last – time the Masters had faced the Crystal Heartless had been six years ago. Sora and Riku had been training Kai and Collen on Destiny Islands, Roxas was training Mora in Twilight Town, and Aqua, Terra, and Ven had been training Jasper, Bion, and Kaya in The Land of Departure when they got the SOS from Radiant Garden.

So, they left their apprentices with Master Yen Sid (to keep them out of trouble, of course), and went with the other Masters to the troubled world.

"So, Leon said there was a new kind of Heartless?" Sora asked as he, Riku, and Kairi made their way through the outskirts of town. Roxas's trio was on the other side of town, searching around there, while Ven's trio stayed in town to gather information.

"Yeah. Although, apparently, it doesn't attack as often as the usual ones," Riku said, his sharp eyes flickering towards every shadow. He was prepared to strike or defend on a moment's notice.

"But when it does… well, it causes a lot of destruction," Kairi added. "And it's apparently impossible to take down."

"No Heartless is _impossible_ to take down," Sora said with a cocky grin, glancing over his shoulder at the other two. "It'll just take some persistence."

"And maybe a strategy?" Riku offered, only to be ignored by the brunette. Kairi giggled at the weary sigh that escaped him.

"Sora—" he began, only to be cut off by a flash of light slamming into the ground in front of them. All three summoned their Keyblades, falling into a defensive position… only to lower their weapons as the light faded.

"Collen!" Riku gasped, watching his fourteen-year-old apprentice push himself off the ground, a Star Shard in his hand. The boy quickly looked up, his electric blue eyes wide. "What are you doing here?" Riku demanded, banishing his Keyblade. The other two did the same. Collen quickly pushed himself to his feet and bowed.

"I'm sorry, Master Riku. I know you wanted me to stay with Master Yen Sid and the others, but…" the boy hesitated, glancing up at Riku, who had his arms crossed, a displeased frown on his face. "Well… this is my home. I wanted to help keep my parents and friends safe," he said, standing up straight. He still looked worried, but there was a defiant look in his eyes.

Riku studied him, before sighing, his face softening. He reached up and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Alright. Just stay close, okay? And if we tell you to run, you _run._ "

"Yes, Master!" Collen gave another quick bow, before following the Masters.

A few minutes later, while they were inspecting the Great Maw, the other two trios found them.

"Here you are!" Aqua called, catching their attention. We have— Collen?" she cut herself off when spotting the apprentice.

"What are you doing here?" Terra asked, sounding a little worried.

"I… snuck away. The only one who noticed was Kai, who… covered for me," Collen admitted, glancing over at Kai's Master. Sora simply smiled, shaking his head at his apprentice.

"Sounds about right," he admitted, before looking at the others. "So, what's up?"

"Oh! Right! We think we have a lead on the source of the Heartless," Ven said. "A few people said they've seen them coming out of Crystal Cavern."

"The only issue is… Crystal Cavern is tiny. We checked it out on our way here, and there's nothing," Lea added. Collen looked up at him curiously.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Master Lea. Crystal Cavern is huge," he said. Every eye turned to him. He bit his lip, glancing around at all of them, wondering if he crossed a line. After all, he'd only been an apprentice for a matter of months, and he was already disobeying a direct order.

"What do you mean? It's just a crack in the cliff walls between here and the path," Lea said. Collen hesitantly shook his head.

"Well, no… if you look between the two big, dark blue crystals on the north side wall, there's a cave that goes deeper. I used to explore it a lot," he admitted. Lea looked like Collen had hit him, and Roxas and Xion burst out laughing.

"Look! Someone who knows this world better then you!" Roxas snickered.

"I-it must just be new, is all," Lea snapped.

"Yeah, but you're the one who's always going on and on about how you know this world perfectly," Xion giggled. Lea simply huffed, rolling his eyes at the two.

"Maybe it's a good thing you came after all," Riku said with a warm smile, slinging an arm around his apprentice's shoulders. "If anything, you managed to knock Lea down a few pegs." This caused Roxas and Xion to laugh even harder.

Terra's head suddenly snapped around. "Guys!" he warned, summoning his Keyblade, Earthshaker. The other's quickly turned to see what caught his attention.

It was a Heartless, like one they'd never seen before. It had the shape of a Warthog, with black skin. It had dark purple crystal plates covering its head and back, and its tusks and hooves were made of the crystal.

"Uh-oh," Ven muttered as the rest of the Master's summoned their Keyblades.

"Think this is one of those new Heartless?" Sora asked.

"No doubt," Riku said, stepping in front of his apprentice. "Collen, stay ready, but stay back," he said.

"Yes, Master," Collen said, summoning his own Keyblade, Samurai Heart. It was a two-handed weapon, the blade just like that of a long katana. The handguard was gold, twisted into an intricate design. A red ribbon hung from the bottom of the guard, with a gold heart hanging from it. At the point, forming the teeth of the blade, was an orange sun insignia.

Just then, the Heartless charged them, causing the group to scatter. As they moved, Terra attempted to attack it, only for his Keyblade to bounce harmlessly off.

"Wha!?" Terra gasped, skidding to a stop with the Aqua and Ven. He then frowned at the Heartless.

Meanwhile, Riku glanced over his shoulder to make sure Collen was near him. He then looked up to see the Heartless charging again, this time at Terra, Aqua, and Ven.

"I got an idea! Aqua, brace me!" Terra said, bringing his Keyblade up in a defense position. Aqua's eyes widened, and she banished Rainfell, placing her hands against Terra's back and setting her feet.

The Heartless slammed into Terra's Keyblade with a resounding _CLANG_ that echoed off the cliffs. Terra gritted his teeth as he and Aqua skidded back a few feet before stopping. He then twisted his Keyblade, locking it with the Heartless's tusks, and wrenching to the side, flipping the Heartless onto its side, revealing an unprotected belly, where the Heartless Symbol was. Aqua dove forward, Rainfell back in hand, and pinned the Heartless's front legs with it.

"Ven!" they yelled.

"On it!" he replied, diving forward and hacking at its weak spot with Wayward Wind. The Heartless struggled against the two pinning it down, until finally, it jerked, and faded, a heart floating lazily away.

"I can't believe it worked…" Terra panted.

"Everyone okay?" Aqua called as Ven stood up straight. He glanced around, and gasped, pointing at Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

"Behind you!" he yelled. Riku turned, shoving Collen out of the way as he did so. It was another of the same kind of Heartless.

"Sora!" Riku yelled, bringing his Keyblade up.

"Right!"

Following the Wayfinder Trio's example, Riku blocked the charge, with Sora bracing him. Riku then flipped it over, and Sora pinned its legs, while Kairi attacked it's stomach.

While this was happening, three more appeared. Roxas blocked the charge of the one that attacked his trio, with Lea bracing him, and Xion attacking the stomach. Meanwhile, Aqua cast Reflega spells around the two trios, keeping them safe from the Heartless not pinned.

A few minutes later, Xion finished off the last of the Heartless.

"Man these things are tough," Sora panted. The others nodded in agreement.

"I can't even break through the crystals on them," Terra said, shaking his head.

"We better find the source and get rid of it, fast," Ven said, glancing worriedly in the direction of the town.

"Then I guess we'd better get to Crystal Cavern," Riku said, leading the way, with Collen at his side.

With Collen's help, the group quickly found the hidden entrance into Crystal Cavern. Riku looked around, letting out a low whistle.

It was a huge space, looking almost as big as the cliff they were in, and full of crystals, ranging from pure white to deep blue. The crystals themselves emitted a soft light, giving everything inside a bluish tint.

"This is amazing…" Kairi whispered.

"I never knew this even existed…" Lea said.

"Yeah. I found it by accident," Collen admitted with a small chuckle.

"Well, let's start looking for that source," Aqua said. The group nodded and moved through the Cavern.

Unfortunately, the Crystal Heartless were more common in here.

This time, though, it wasn't the Warthog.

"Collen, down!" Riku yelled, noticing the movement from the corner of his eye. The apprentice dropped to the ground as Riku threw his Keyblade, catching a lion shaped Crystal Heartless in its exposed stomach. It fell back, before rolling onto its stomach.

Like the hog, it's skin was black, and its back was covered in dark purple crystals. It's teeth, claws, and mane were also all made of crystal, but it's face, legs, tail, and stomach were all exposed.

Collen scrambled over to Riku, moving behind his Master, and summoning Samurai Heart, his eyes wide.

The lion Heartless attacked again. Riku raised his Keyblade in a defense position, and the lion slammed into it, it's teeth wrapped around the Keyblade.

Riku fell back under its weight, struggling to keep his Keyblade between him and its teeth.

"Master Riku!" Collen cried at seeing his Master fall under the dangerous Heartless. He looked around, searching for help from the other Masters, only to see them busy fending off more of the lion Heartless.

The lion managed to get one of its paws past the Keyblade and struck Riku across the face, making three gashes across his right cheek. Riku gasped in pain, and slammed his foot into the lion's stomach. It wasn't much of an attack, but it did give the Heartless pause.

Collen, hearing his Master gasp in pain, gritted his teeth, and slammed Samurai Heart into the top of the creature's head. It bounced off the crystal mane harmlessly, but it did make the Heartless look up.

"Get off of him!" Collen yelled, this time slamming his Keyblade into the Heartless's exposed face. The lion reared back, and Riku quickly scrambled out from under it, putting a hand to his injured cheek. Collen helped him up.

"Are you okay, Master?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Riku panted. Collen started to nod, before freezing, his eyes wide.

"Look out!" he yelled, shoving Riku away. Riku, still catching his breath, staggered, before turning in time to see a new type of Crystal Heartless, this one in the shape of a bull. His eyes widened as he saw what was about to happen.

Collen had shoved Riku out of the way, and started to bring his Keyblade up to block the Bull's charge, but wasn't fast enough. The Bull slammed into him, pinning him against one of the crystals. Darkness gathered around the apprentice's chest, and his heart appeared, floating slowly towards the Bull Heartless.

"NO!" Riku cried.

…

 **A/N:** And I'll end this one here. Cliff hanger, yay!


End file.
